The Two Cockroaches
by mutatedbunnies
Summary: [Error x Ink] Ink has just moved into his very first apartment of his own in the big city! Perfect for a budding artist, his apartment is located in a somewhat rundown building, filled with interesting characters. One of them is his neighbor, who he hears making death threats to someone one night. Will Ink be able to stop him from becoming a murderer?
1. The Roaches

"You're sure about this?" Dream asked as he stared up at the rundown, three story apartment building that was situated on the corner of a busy street. A busy street corner located in a bad part of town.

"Absolutely." Ink stated, throwing a box into his friend's arms.

"There's no way I can talk you out of it?"

"Absolutely not."

Dream sighed, his frown deepening to the point it might become a permanent fixture on his visage.

He and Ink had… broken up. They had lived together and when things didn't work out, Ink wanted to move out on his own. Not even in with another roommate. Alone. Completely isolated from the rest of the world in this little studio apartment on the third floor of a building that probably had bed bugs. And in the middle of the large city, no less.

They had split amicably and were still friends, but Dream was uneasy about Ink living on his own. He had the attention span of a goldfish and his memory was so bad that if he had an actual goldfish, he would forget to feed it. And probably forget that he had even bought it in the first place. Ink might even just wander into the street and get hit by a bus because he was too consumed in sketching. He had to worry if Ink would forget to feed himself.

Thankfully, Ink didn't own much so they only had to go up the three flights of stair four times. It probably would have been easier if their friend Blue could have made it. After their fourth and final trip up, they collapsed on the floor, their faces flushed from the effort.

"We did it!" Ink thrust his fist in the air triumphantly. "I'm going to order pizza."

Dream sighed. At least there was going to be pizza after this.

They had seen a few of Ink's neighbors in their scramble up the stairs. It was a motley crew of monsters and humans. Some young with families, some old enough to have outlived all of their relatives.

"You need furniture." Dream huffed as he sat up.

"I'm getting a bed delivered tomorrow." Ink shrugged, his back against the wall.

"So, you're gonna sleep on the floor tonight?"

Another shrug.

Dream sighed.

"You can always come back with me. There's no reason for you to sleep here if you don't even have a bed."

"I've already made up my mind. I'm staying here from now on." Ink grinned at him. "And if the floor gets too hard, I'll just fuck one of my neighbors and sleep in their bed."

Dream choked.

"Wow, I was only joking! Lighten up, Dream." Ink laughed at his friend's discomfort. Though, he wouldn't have minded getting some. It'd been a while, even though their break up was pretty recent.

There was a knock on the door.

"Pizza!" Ink shot up with excitement and bounded over to the door. His stomach was starting to ache and only the sweet relief of cheese and grease could ease his pain. He flung the door open.

The human seemed a bit uneasy with Ink's enthusiasm and watched his irises change rapidly.

"H-here's your pizza…" They said awkwardly, stretching the box out to the skeleton.

At that moment, Ink heard a jangle of keys to the right and turned his head to catch his first glimpse of his next door neighbor. He was tall, to Ink's standards, wearing a sweater and loose-fitting jeans, paired with decrepit tennis shoes and a backpack slung over one shoulder. While that was all very interesting, the thing that stood out the most was that he was a black-boned skeleton. He was unlike anything Ink had even seen in his short existence and he wanted to get closer.

"U-um…" The pizza delivery human bounced from foot to foot, unsure of themselves.

At the sound of the human's voice, his neighbor turned, and Ink caught sight of blue streaks running from his eyes to his jaws. And his eyes. They were fascinating. He frowned at Ink, catching him in his stare before pushing the door open and stepping inside, away from the artist's pointed stare.

Ink finally snapped back to reality.

He leaned back into his own doorway, that he hadn't realized he was hanging out of. He looked back at the human.

"Sorry… Here's an extra tip." He laughed awkwardly, taking the pizza. He squinted at the human's nametag. "Thanks, Frisk."

The human smiled and moved back, turning towards the stairs. Ink closed the door.

"What the hell was that about?" Dream looked up at him, puzzled.

Ink plopped down on the floor, setting the pizza box between the two of them. He flipped it open, taking a piece of the sweet, artery-clogging pie.

"It was my neighbor. I saw him." Suddenly his eye lights sprang into stars. "He was the most interesting-looking monster I've ever seen! His bones are black! He has lines on his cheeks. And his EYES, Dream! They're so colorful! Well, technically they're only red and yellow and I think I saw some blue? You should have seen him…"

Dream drowned out the rest of Ink's description of his neighbor. Maybe he really should be worried about Ink spending the night in a neighbor's bed.

After they had finished the pizza and Ink had finally stopped rambling about his "interesting" neighbor, Dream stood to leave.

"As much as I hate leaving you here to sleep on the floor, I do have to go. I promised Night I'd pick him up from… whatever he's doing." Dream shrugged. He couldn't remember what his brother was up to. It was one of the many things that had irked Ink, though perhaps that was a little hypocritical.

Ink stood, stretching and cracking a few joints while he was at it. Dream grimaced. That was one of the things that had irked Dream. He couldn't stand the sound of joints popping.

"Alright Dreamy. I'll see you…" Ink's brow furrowed. When would he see Dream again? With his new job starting in a few days and Dream being a university student who lived in the suburbs, he wasn't sure.

"Soon." Dream finished for him with a smile. "We'll see each other soon." He gave a small wave and opened the door.

"Remember to lock your door. I don't want to hear about how you were murdered in your sleep."

"Aye aye, captain!" Ink saluted his friend as he closed the door behind himself. He went to the door and turned all the locks into place, just for Dream. He yawned and went to slump against one of the walls, pulling a blanket over himself and taking his laptop out.

He had lied to Dream. He didn't have a bed coming tomorrow. He opened his web browser and began to hastily search for a bed that he could have delivered to him within a few days. If he knew Dream, and he knew him well, Dream would randomly stop by sometime in the next few days to check on him. And he didn't want Dream to find him without a bed. That he said he already had.

He found a simple set and a mattress to match and sent the order off. He even paid a little extra so that they would assemble it for him when they delivered it. He felt accomplished, and exhausted. He still needed to unpack his few boxes, but that could wait. His job at the art gallery didn't start until Wednesday, so he had plenty of time to get settled. And maybe he would be able to strike up a conversation with his neighbor…

" _Just fucking die already!"_

The little artist-in-training blinked. It was a yell that had been muffled by the wall… He glanced around, trying to figure out where it was coming from.

" _You're an abomination. A waste of space on this planet. You don't deserve to live. You deserve to burn in hell!"_

He heard a crash and a thump as something fell to the ground. But now he knew where it was coming from. It was coming from the wall to his right, the room that held his intriguing neighbor. His heart raced. Was he having some kind of fight with someone? It sounded almost like some kind of… domestic fight. Was someone hurt?

He stood and went to his bare wall, pressing the side of his skull to it, trying to hear better.

" _You come in here, in my home, and try to pull this shit? You're pathetic. You're nothing. When I find you, I'm going to desiccate your body so badly that your own MOTHER won't be able to identify your corpse."_

Ink jolted back. Someone was really in trouble! And like the idiot he was, he dashed out his front door with no way to defend himself, no cell phone, and not even his keys. He began banging on his neighbor's door frantically.

"Hello?! Is anyone in there?! I heard yelling! I-I'm going to call the police!" He shouted.

The door flew open, and there was his new neighbor, panting softly with a sheen of sweat on his forehead. In one hand he gripped one of his ratty old Converses.

"What do you want?" He practically growled. Ink swallowed, pulling his courage from the pits of his non-existent guts.

"I won't let you hurt them!" Ink shouted. His neighbor grimaced at the sound.

"Quiet down! And hurt who?" He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Whoever you're yelling at! They're not a waste of space! They're valued and cherished and I won't let you kill them!" Ink was still frantic.

His neighbor paused, then blinked at him.

Then he laughed.

"Oh shit, you heard that? That's embarrassing." The monster chuckled for a few more seconds. Then he looked back to Ink, was still prepared for a fight.

"Oh, you really want to rescue them? Be my guest." The man moved out from the doorframe, allowing Ink to come inside. The room had the same layout as his, only a lot tidier than his place could ever hope to be, and furnished with a small bed, a couch, a TV and what looked like a video game set, a desk and chair, and some bookshelves.

Other than that, the place was empty.

"But where…?" Ink frowned, doubting himself.

The man pointed to a corner.

"Right over. There's the sacks of shit that you need to get out of here."

Ink quickly moved to the corner where a few books had landed, probably from when they were knocked over just a moment ago. Nestled just next to the books were a pair of long, thick, cockroaches.

He shrieked and jumped back.

His neighbor howled in laughter.

"Not so brave now, huh, hero?" He cawed.

"U-um… I-I wasn't expecting that…" Ink rubbed the back of his skull.

His neighbor pushed his shoe into Ink's hand.

"There ya go, knight in shining armor. If you'd rather scoop them up with your bare hands and take them allllll the way down the stairs and allll the way to the garden to release them, be my guest." He laughed again before sitting down on his sofa.

Ink frowned at the shoe in his hand. He was NOT going to be picking the roaches up anytime soon. He gripped his weapon and started moving back towards the corner. Now that he knew his neighbor was abusing anyone or a murderer, he could impress him with his roach killing skills.

He advanced on the roaches, raising the shoe. Then he paused.

"Having second thought, Sir Lancelot?" He heard behind him.

"Shut up. I'm trying to concentrate." Ink shushed.

He swiftly brought down the shoe, striking one of the creatures. It simply bounced on the carpet and began trying to squirm away. The sudden movement stirred it's partner out of its malaise and it too began a scramble. Ink cried out and bounced away. This only caused his audience to laugh harder.

"Now do you know I was talking to them like that?" He grinned at Ink. It was a nice smile, filled with yellow teeth. Yellow teeth that Ink assumed wasn't because of a lack of proper oral hygiene.

"Are they mutants?" Ink scowled. The force behind his blow should have at least broke through its exoskeleton a little bit. Or broken a leg. SOMETHING.

"I don't know. I'm pretty sure the lady next to me has a collection of 'em. They're probably African or some shit. Built to survive." He hopped off the couch, setting his drink aside. Ink glanced at it. A cheap light beer. Fits the demographic of people who would live in a place like this.

His neighbor went to his small kitchenette and opened one of the drawers.

"What are you doing?" Ink asked, trying to sneak a peek. The front door was still open, so if he did turn out to be a murderer, Ink could get out pretty quickly.

"If you're going to slay a dragon, you gotta get the right tools." The man dug around in his silverware before pulling something out. Ink was intrigued. What did he plan to do with a fork?

"Oh by the way I'm-" Ink began to introduce himself.

"Yeah, one second." His neighbor brushed passed him. Ink fell silent, curiosity overtaking him. "They haven't moved much…" He sounded like he was deep in thought.

He kneeled down and… thrust the fork down into the carpet. Ink twitched as he heard a crunch. And then… another thrust, and another crunch.

"Got 'em." The man said happily, standing back up. He held the fork out to Ink. Skewered on the tongs were the two roaches, both of them moving their legs wildly. As Ink watched in horror, disgust, and slight amazement, their legs slowed down as the life slowly left their bodies.

The victor laughed again and moved out the front door to where the garbage chute was. He threw it down the chute and pulled the cover closed with a loud clang. Ink watched. This man was so different from anyone he knew.

"Want a beer?" The dark skeleton asked as he bounded back into his apartment. "You're new, right?"

"No thanks, I don't really drink… And yeah! I just moved in today! My name's Ink." He thrust out his hand, excited to finally be introduced to his neighbor. Even though their meeting was a bit off color, he was still grateful for the chance.

The man looked at his hand, seeming to hesitate for a moment before reaching out and shaking it.

"I'm Error." He pulled his hand back. Ink was left with an empty coldness. He wanted to touch his hand again. "And it's probably good you don't drink. You look like a sloppy drunk."

Ink frowned, though he was still amused.

"Why do I look like a sloppy drunk?" He crossed his arms.

"Hm." Error tilted his head at him, studying him. For some reason Ink had the urge to do a twirl. "I can pinpoint why. But you look like the kind of guy that'd get drunk and start confessing your love to anyone who looked at you the right way."

Ink thought for a moment. Then shrugged.

"Maybe I would. What do you do?" He asked.

"What do I do when I'm drunk? Get in fights, mostly." Error paused. "Do you want to stay and chat? You could close the door and sit down if you are."

Ink blinked, realizing this was quite an uncomfortable position they were standing in and that he spied a door across the hallway that was open a tiny bit. He quickly shut the door and moved to the couch. It was nice to use some furniture.

"I meant what you do for work, but that's good to know." Ink huffed. None of his friends really drank and did anything… "bad." Error seemed like the kind of guy who had wild high school and college years.

Error sat next to him, laughing slightly. Ink didn't realize how small the couch was until their knees brushed against each other. He forced down a blush.

"Oh. That makes more sense. Um, I'm a grad student. I'm studying cyber security." He took another drink of his beer. "What do you do?"

"Cyber security? That's interesting. Do you catch bad guys on the internet?" Ink asked, ignoring the question aimed at him. He wanted to know more about Error.

"I guess? There's a lot of shitty things going on online, Ink. So, where do you work?" Error prompted again.

"Oh! Um, I'm about to start working at the Dreemurr art gallery. But outside of work, I'm an artist." He gloated, a bit haughtily. Surely, artists were Error's type. He was a grad student, after all.

"Oh, my ex works there." Error said nonchalantly. "What kind of art do you do?"

Ink nodded to himself. He was right, artists were his type if his ex worked at an art gallery. Then he stumbled over himself. He was going to be working with his neighbor's ex?! Especially a neighbor that he wanted to see more of? He wasn't sure if that was a very good, or very bad thing. On the one hand, he could see what Error liked and maybe even get know some of his neuroses before getting in too deep. On the other hand… it was his ex. His EX.

"Ink?"

He snapped back to reality.

"Ahah, sorry. It looks like I spaced out a bit there. I'm really tired from moving, and slaying dragons. I should probably go home." He laughed slightly and reached down, accidentally grabbing onto Error's thigh and using it to push himself up. Embarrassment number two of the night.

Error stilled at the touch but got up after a moment, following Ink to the door.

"Have a good night." Error said, opening the door for him. "I'll see you around." He gave Ink a weak smile. The artist blinked and studied that smile. It would help him tonight, since inspiration had struck so suddenly.

"You too. It was nice hanging!" Ink said quickly before rushing to his own door. He closed the door quickly and thankfully remembered to lock it.

He started rushing through his boxes, opening each of them and tossing their contents onto the floor as he searched for it. His sketch book. After he had emptied the last box, he realized he had put it away in his messenger bag so that he wouldn't have to dig for it. He laughed at himself and pulled it out, eager to get started on the sketch of Error he wanted to try and draw from memory.

* * *

 **A/N:** This started from a prompt with something about cockroaches that I can't really remember. I've been wanting to do a broad AU story with many of the different AU characters coming together, so expect a lot! And of course, lots of Errink :)


	2. Red Dead Romance?

Error spent the rest of the evening ticking away at his laptop, trying to finish some work for his classes the following day. He tried to get some research for his job done as well, but his mind kept drifting elsewhere. He thought of his strange new neighbor, who had jumped up so suddenly and ran out the door. He didn't think that it had been anything he had said, but Error wasn't exactly the best at social interactions. And even though Error had made fun of him, Ink had seemed to be fine with it. He couldn't really place where their interaction had gone south. He shouldn't have been worrying about it; he had just met the guy. Maybe Ink was socially awkward as well.

He knew of a monster who was good with people, in a weird way. His brother. He opened a new tab in his internet browser and went to UnderNet. He pulled up his profile and grimaced. The newest photo was of his brother, doing a trick on his skateboard while giving the camera a peace sign. It was captioned: "Getting high on life, my dudes!" Error groaned and sat back in his chair. There was no way he was asking Fresh for help. But the guy was a professional social media influencer. He knew how to read people and cater to what they liked.

No, Error wasn't contacting Fresh. He wanted to put as much space between him and both of his brothers as possible. He thought moving away to a big city would do the trick. It didn't. His brothers had come after him, though they said it was for other reasons. At least Geno's was more plausible than Fresh's.

Error was rubbing his brow ridge when he heard a popular song playing from… in between the seat cushions of the couch. His own phone was on his desk, right next to his mouse where he liked it. He stood and crossed to the little couch, sticking his hand down into the abyss and came out with a phone he didn't recognize. He pressed the button and the screen lit up and showed a picture of Ink and some other skeleton hugging. So it was Ink's phone. He pressed the button again and was immediately granted access.

"Not even password protected…" He grumbled. If he and Ink were dating, he'd make sure Ink had a password.

He froze.

If he and…Ink? He shook his head. It was too quick for that kind of thought, wasn't it? He wanted to see more of Ink, but skipping straight ahead to the relationship?

 _Slow down there, Error buddy._ He scolded himself.

He looked back to the phone, frowning. Didn't relationships start with flirting? Then a date or two? How did someone flirt?

He suddenly had an idea.

He went to Ink's contacts and added his own number, but under the name 'Cockroach.' That was cute, wasn't it? Error nodded to himself, satisfied with his work. Now he needed to get the phone back to its owner. And maybe scold him a little bit for not having a password.

He left his apartment and walked a little way down the hall before arriving at his door. He knocked softly, since it was late, and he didn't want to wake his other neighbors. He waited. And waited. He didn't hear any sound from the artist's apartment, and it looked dark. He frowned and went back to his own place. He scribbled on a sticky note before placing it on the phone's screen and sliding the device under his neighbor's door. That would have to do.

As he closed the door to his own apartment, he let out a yawn. Error guessed it was probably time for him to go to bed. After changing and brushing his teeth, he crawled into bed. He was closing his eyes when a thought struck him. What if Ink wasn't single? He had that picture… What if that was his boyfriend and not a friend? Error felt panic rising in his chest. What if he was being a homewrecker? He could feel himself starting to short circuit. He took a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself. He started stretching; first his toes, then he moved up his body, relaxing his muscles.

When he had calmed down, he thought about the situation logically. Worst case scenario: Ink never spoke to him again. Best case scenario: Ink thought it was silly, but definitely NOT flirting, and would still be amicable towards him. In any case, what was done was done. Error couldn't take it back.

He rolled over on his side, curling up into a ball. He finally fell asleep, pushing romantic inklings into the back of his mind.

* * *

Ink woke up the following morning in a pile on the floor, his cheek pressing into his sketch book. He slowly sat up, rubbing at said cheek and smearing charcoal onto the back of his hand. It wasn't unlike him to have some kind of media on his face. He sighed and reached for his phone. His fingers wiggled around on the carpet, not hitting anything. Panic rose in him. Where was his phone? He patted his pockets, since he hadn't changed the night before, but nothing showed up. He did find a pencil that was really just a nub in his back pocket, but nothing else.

He shot up, beginning to dig through the things he had unceremoniously pulled from his boxes the day before in his mad scramble to find his sketch book. Dream was going to kill him for losing his phone! He stopped. He shouldn't be worrying what Dream would think about this. They weren't together anymore. He stared at the floor, frowning. He had made this move to get space from is ex-boyfriend. They were friends, but Dream didn't have the same hold on him as he used to. It wasn't his place to reprimand Ink.

Suddenly, he had a rare moment of clarity. His phone might be at Error's! That would make sense. But he thought he had rushed out his door without it. But he remembered putting it in his pocket after ordering pizza. But what if he had taken it out again? His memory was so spotty, it couldn't be trusted. It was worth asking his neighbor anyway.

He was just about to step out the door when he happened to glance on the floor and… There it was! His phone! He grinned and picked it up. There was a note stuck to the screen.

 _"You left this. And put a password on it. -E"_

Ink appreciated the sentiment, but he wouldn't be able to remember the password to save his life. He peeled the note off and stuck it to the wall next to the door before wandering back to his small nest on the floor. As soon as he lit up the screen, his heart dropped. His background was still of him and Dream. He knew Error had seen it. He had to turn on the phone to see it wasn't password protected. What if… what if he thought he was in a relationship? His soul screamed in agony. Dream was coming to haunt him again.

He pushed the unpleasant feeling away and opened his phone. There was a new message from Dream, asking how his first night was, but he decided to ignore it. He was now mad at Dream, for something he didn't do, nonetheless. He blinked as his phone opened to his contacts. Why was Error in there? He scrolled a bit until he reached an entry named "Cockroach." He blinked and frowned. That hadn't been there before, had it? He lost himself in thought, trying to figure it out. Then it dawned on him.

Cockroach.

Cockroaches.

Cockroaches that were murdered with a fork.

He smiled. Maybe Error hadn't thought the worst of the picture. Adding himself was cute but giving himself a nickname that was somewhat of an inside joke was even cuter. Ink hoped Error was flirting with him. He wasn't sure he was ready for a new relationship just yet, but it was exciting to find someone new that interested him. He hadn't felt that spark, the thrill of the chase, in a long time. It energized him.

Ink knew he needed to go and thank his neighbor for returning his phone, but he decided to wait. Would he look too eager if he ran there now? And it was midmorning on a Monday. There was a good chance Error wasn't even home.

And so, he waited.

* * *

Error got home later than he would have liked. It had been a busy day. He had his regular classes, and then he had to put in his hours at the research center. To end the day, Cross made him go to anime club, and even though Error bailed five minutes in, it still made him miss his usual train, so he had to wait for the next one to show up. He dropped his backpack on the floor unceremoniously and turned on his gaming console to blow off some steam. He luckily had nothing due tomorrow, so he got to rest for the night.

He was in the middle of his game when he heard a knock on the door. He ignored it at first, thinking it was probably the crazy lady next door who wanted to ask if he had seen her cockroaches. But the knocking persisted, so he paused his game and went to the door.

"What?" He asked as he opened. He paused when he saw who it was.

"Um, it's me. I just wanted to thank you for bringing my phone back." Ink smiled shyly. In each of his hands was a mug of what Error assumed was hot chocolate, piled with marshmallows. He blinked.

"Uh, no worries." He scratched the back of his neck as Ink continued to stare at him, one eye a star and the other a blue oval. They watched each other for a moment as Ink blinked, his pupils changing.

"I brought hot chocolate as a thank you. Can I come in?" Ink asked.

"Sure." Error felt awkward as he moved away from the door so that his neighbor could come in.

Ink trotted in happily and set the mugs down on Error's coffee table. Error felt like he had been worrying for nothing. The other seemed fine and unfazed by their parting the night before and had even brought hot chocolate, which Error couldn't refuse. He closed the door and went over to the couch, where Ink was already making himself at home. He sat down next to him and picked up the mug, taking a sip. It tasted exactly as he expected it to: a powdered version, but with milk. He slid his eyes over to Ink, who was looking at him expectantly, his pupils changing rapidly.

"Er… It's good." Error complimented. He saw the artist's expression brighten immediately.

"Really? I'm glad!" Ink looked cheerful at his success. It was cute, and Error decided then that if Ink ever made him anything else, he would say it was nice just to see that face again.

Ink looked over to his TV and laughed.

"You play video games? How old are you? Twelve?" He laughed. Error frowned.

"Twelve and a half. And what's wrong with video games? I get to kill people without actually killing people." Error crossed his arms.

"They're for kids. And what kind of game is this? Some kind of cowboy simulator? Do you say yeehaw and howdy?"

Even though he was frowning, Error liked Ink's banter. He picked up the controller and thrust it into Ink's hands.

"Play it. You'll see." Error winked at him, earning a slight blush on Ink's cheeks. "If you don't like it, you win. If you do, I win."

"What do I get if I win?" Ink huffed.

"A fun time."

"Don't want it. How about… if I win…" Ink furrowed his brow bone as he thought. "You model for a painting for me."

Error blinked, then smirked.

"Okay. And if I win, you get me more chocolate."

"You're on!"

Error had to teach Ink some of the controls, but once he was done, he let him off into the vast digital world of the game. He sat back, drinking from his mug as he watched. Ink was hilariously bad at it, and he was cursing the entire time.

"You should watch out here. There are bears." Error warned.

"Bears? Why do I need to watch out for bears?" Ink grumbled.

Two seconds later a bear emerged from a group of trees and proceeded to attack and eat Ink's horse.

"It's eating my horse!" He cried, jolting back against the couch.

"I told you to watch out!" Error laughed.

"Oh no! It's coming for me!" Ink began to frantically press buttons in no particular order.

"Shoot it!"

"How?!" He wailed just as the bear began to maul him. A few seconds later, the 'You have died' text scrolled across the screen.

"Still think it's for kids?" Error smirked. Ink frowned.

"I guess not…" He grumbled, setting the controller down. "I still didn't enjoy it, though. But you made your point. You win." He huffed.

"The deal was made that you would enjoy it. So, you win." Error sighed. He couldn't stand that look on Ink's face. And he felt stupid for it. Ink immediately perked up.

"Oh, in that case, great! That means you have to model for me!"

"I guess so." Error shrugged and picked up their now empty mugs and taking them to the sink.

Ink began stretching, popping his back and then his neck. He let out a sigh.

"I'm so sore…" He complained under his breath.

"From moving?" Error asked, washing the mugs. He didn't want to let them sit too long and become crusty.

"No… From sleeping on the floor. I don't have a bed yet, which is kind of annoying." He sighed.

"You don't have a bed?"

Ink looked at him sheepishly.

"No… I… It's coming tomorrow." He laughed awkwardly. Error was probably going to scold him like Dream would. Or any logical thinking person.

"…I guess that makes sense. You just moved in." Error set the mugs aside on the counter to dry.

Ink blinked.

"You're not going to make fun of me?" He asked.

"No?" Error quirked a brow. "When I first moved in, I only had a mattress that I slept on. It's kind of a rite of passage when moving. And I only ate takeout when I first moved because I didn't know where the grocery store was."

Ink laughed. At least someone else didn't have it together. It made him feel a bit better about forgetting things.

"Since you don't have a bed…" Error paused, hesitating. "Do you want to sleep over here? You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

Ink's eyes changed into stars. Error almost took a step back. They seemed so bright.

"Really?! That would be great!" Ink almost cheered. "But I couldn't take your bed. I'm smaller anyway, so I'll fit on the couch better."

Error smiled slightly.

"Alright."

* * *

 **A/N:** I feel like I need to add a little note about this world, since I don't know how to casually include it in the actual story. Basically, no one has a tragic backstory. Maybe some unpleasant things happened, but nothing too sad. For example, Ink never had to rip his soul out, Error doesn't hear voices, Fresh isn't a parasite, and Geno isn't deformed. I just really want them to be able to be happy. T^T


	3. The Legend of Mettaton

After Ink had ran back to his apartment and grabbed a pillow and a blanket, he sat on the couch by himself and continued to try out Error's video games. The other was busy at his desk, typing away on his computer. Ink was a bit put out that Error had to actually do work. He wanted attention! …But he knew Error was doing important things, so he left him alone. Mostly.

"How do I get around this puzzle?"

"If I told you, it would ruin the fun."

"Can't you give me a hint?"

A sigh.

"Look on the left wall just under the statue."

"Which statue?"

"I think I know why you don't play video games."

Ink pouted, though he knew the other couldn't see it. After he had figured out the puzzle by moving a few crates into the right position, he looked back at his host to see he had put on red, circle-rimmed glasses. He bounced up and went to the desk.

"I didn't know you wear glasses!" He exclaimed, leaning in to try and get a closer look.

Error visibly squirmed, his head flinging back as far as physical possible. He was jarred with Ink's sudden closeness. Ink didn't seem to be phased and simply continued to stare, his eyes blinking and changing shape.

"Yeah… it's because my eyesight is shit." He was regretting putting them on. As much as he thought he liked Ink, the sudden close proximity of the other set him on edge. "Can you…?" He motioned between him and his neighbor.

"Oh!" Ink leaned back and laughed. "I didn't notice I was so close! Why don't you wear them all the time?"

"They look stupid." Error shrugged.

Ink was about to inform him that they did _not_ look stupid and how much he liked them when Error's phone dinged. He tilted his head as he watched Error pick up the phone and look at the message.

"Who is it?" He asked, though it really wasn't his business. But he was curious and he didn't really think before speaking. Error's eyes flicked to him before looking back at his phone to continue typing.

"Just my friend. He sees I'm online and wants to play a game with me." Error said as he sent the message declining Cross's offer.

"I'll play with him!" Ink turned and was going to shoot to the couch but was stopped by Error grabbing the back of his shirt.

"I already told him no. Just keep playing your Legend of Mettaton game."

Now Ink really did pout. He crossed his arms.

"I don't take orders from you." He huffed.

"No, you don't. But Cross is brutal in games and he'll slaughter you and you'll hate him for it. That's not how I'd like for you guys to be introduced to each other." Error rubbed his temple gently.

Ink, satisfied with his answer, nodded. He tried to ignore the giddy feeling in his stomach. The way Error had phrased the sentence made it sound like he wanted to introduce him to his friends. It might have just been something Error said without thinking, but Ink was going to press anyway.

"Sooo, that means I get to meet your friends?" He asked, grinning.

Error cocked a brow at his expression before laughing.

"I guess? You've been at my place two nights in a row. You're pretty much like a resident friend of mine now."

Ink paused. He had called him a friend. That was good… right? But what if Error only considered him a friend? That made the thrill of the chase more exciting.

"I'll try not to make a habit of it." Ink mumbled, laughing softly. Error blinked.

"I never said I minded."

Ink's face brightened up for the second time that night. Error tried not to sputter at how cute it was.

"Great!" He said happily before scuttling back to the couch to continue playing.

Error sighed and looked at his phone. Cross had responded.

 _"Hey, wanna play Call of Honor 3?"_

 _"No, I'm working on stuff for class."_

 _"Then why does it say you're playing Legend of Mettaton?"_

 _"It's my neighbor playing it."_

 _"The cockroach lady?"_

 _"No, the new neighbor."_

 _"Oh… I guess you like her?"_

 _"It's a he."_

 _"Oh… I guess you like him?"_

Error frowned at the phone. He didn't really want to discuss Ink with Cross. Not in this way, at least. Cross would make fun of him for catching even the small amount of feelings he had in such a short time. It wasn't like him to let a practical stranger sleep on his couch for the night. But something about Ink made him… trust him.

 _"He's cool."_

 _"You know that's not what I meant."_

"Error! Look! I beat the first boss!" Ink cried happily from the couch. Error turned and watched the small cutscene where the monster died. Then he looked to Ink's face. He was so proud of himself that both of his eyes had matched by forming stars. For once he was glad that he had put on his glasses. Without them, he doubted he would have seen that face. He gave Ink a soft laugh and a smile.

"Are video games better now?" He asked.

"Maybe… They're more fun when you're winning." The artist shrugged and turned back around to face the TV.

 _"Ok… maybe I like him."_

He turned his phone on vibrate and turned back to his computer. He really did need to get this essay finished. Before he could really get back in the grove of writing, his phone buzzed.

 _"Just use protection. You don't know where he's been."_

He held in a groan and didn't give into the urge of dropping his forehead onto the desk.

[line]

Ink had played video games that night longer than he thought he would ever play a video game. Error had been calling hints to him when he needed it, but he had more fun figuring it out himself. When Error was done with his homework, they both decided to go to bed. It was late, Error looked exhausted, and he was tired himself. So, he curled up on the couch with his blanket as Error turned off the light. It was nice to sleep in the same room with someone else. He had been sleeping on the couch in his and Dream's apartment for the past couple of months while he decided what to do. It had been… kind of lonely. Error's soft breathing helped lull him into sleep, where he dreamed of being an explorer of many worlds, armed with a paintbrush and fighting monsters… While dressed in a green suit and long hat.

He awoke to the sound of running water, rubbing his eyes and stretching softly. It was still dark outside, so he knew it was early. Error was probably showering and getting ready to go to school. Ink didn't want to move, so he curled back into his blanket and shut his eyes, knowing he'd have to get up soon so that Error could leave.

He dozed off again, missing when his neighbor exited the shower and got his things ready because he woke up to Error gently shaking him.

"Ink… Ink…" He murmured.

"No…" He whined. "Not right now…"

"Ink. I gotta go."

"Have a good day, Dream."

"I'm not Dream."

That's when Ink opened his eyes to Error frowning at him gently.

"Oh. You really aren't Dream." He tried to laugh it off. Error rolled his eyes. He sat up.

"I gotta go, Ink." Error stood up straight. He already had his backpack on and was holding a shiny foil packet in one of his hands.

"Toaster pastries? You really are twelve." Ink laughed sleepily. Still, he slipped on his shoes and stood, gathering his things.

"I told you, it's twelve and a _half._ " His counterpart returned as he led him out into the hall, locking the door behind him.

"I know, I know." Ink waved it off. "Have a good day, Error." He smiled. Error gave him a soft smile in return and Ink's soul leaped.

"You too, Ink." He said before heading down the stairs.

Ink watched him go before yawing and going into his own apartment. He put his pillow down on the floor before laying down again. He needed to make a call, but for now he was going back to sleep until a more reasonable hour.

* * *

When he finally woke up, he looked at his phone. It was 10 am. The perfect time to call Blue. He went to make himself a cup of coffee but quickly realized that his small coffee maker was still packed. He really needed to unpack today. And clear a space for his bed. He grumbled and sat back on the floor, pressing his friend's contact in his phone.

"Ink? How's the new apartment?" The excited voice came on the line quickly. Ink chuckled softly.

"It's good, but something-" Ink was cut off by another question.

"Is it weird living on your own? I can't imagine living by myself."

"Uh… It's nice, actually. Blue I called-"

"That's great! Are you settled in yet? Unpacked?"

"Not yet, but there's-"

"You really need to get started on that. Your first day of work is tomorrow. Did you forget?"

"I didn't forget… I'm going to unpack today. Look Blue, I called to tell you-"

"Have you mapped out your route to work? Commuting takes a lot of time. Have you gotten your subway pass yet? You can probably just get it tomorrow at the station. But get there early so you have plenty of time!"

That… was something he hadn't thought about. His stomach dropped. What was he going to do? He would have to take out some time today to figure things out. None of his friends knew how the transit system in the city worked. Maybe he could search it on the internet and see what came up.

"Ink? You still there?"

"Y-yeah, Blue! I'm working on all that right now." He laughed nervously.

"Oh, okay then! What were you trying to tell me?"

Ink blinked. What had he been trying to say?

"Um…" He paused, trying to remember. Then it hit him. "I met my neighbor!"

"That's great! Are they nice? If you like them, I'm sure they're nice."

"He… can be nice I get the feeling that he's only nice to people he wants to be nice to."

"I guess you're one of those people?"

` "I guess so!" He chirped happily, then added, "But that's not all."

"Oh? What else?"

"I like him."

"Obviously. Why else would you tell me about him?"

"No, Blue, I _like_ him."

There was silence on the other end.

"Blue?"

"It's been two days, Ink!" Blue cried, but there was laughter in his voice. "Who knew you were so hopeless?"

Ink let out a relieved laugh.

"I think we all knew, just not with this particularly."

"Nope… You and Dream were together for how long?"

"… Two years…"

"And you were high school sweethearts too. Is it weird… finding that you like someone else?"

Ink nodded, then realized that Blue couldn't see him.

"Yeah… And I didn't expect it so quickly. Me and Dream have been friends since kindergarten. I guess it feels… kind of weird."

"Understandably…" Blue paused. "You sound… hesitant about this."

Ink sighed. Of course, Blue would pick up on the little intricacies.

"Yeah… I think I feel bad. Dream and I broke up only two months ago…"

"Let me be frank, Ink, your relationship was over longer than two months ago. Both of you knew it. It was just official two months ago."

"I know, I know. I feel like I'm… hurting Dream somehow by having feelings for this guy. I'm not in love with him or anything, but it still feels like betrayal." He frowned.

"You can't help how you feel. And Dream _isn't your boyfriend anymore._ That's the point. You're not betraying anyone by having feelings for someone. You should just enjoy this. Your first crush besides Dream! It's wonderful!"

Ink blushed and tried to cover his face with his shirt. He did call Blue to gush about Error, but it still felt embarrassing. Probably because, like Blue said, he hadn't liked anyone besides Dream.

"Y-yeah… I don't know if he likes me, though…"

"Does it matter right now? You said it wasn't serious. You can just enjoy the moments you have with him. Maybe even flirt with him… You ARE single, y'know. You can be free." Blue laughed.

Ink gave his own laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Blue."

* * *

At about midday, Error popped into Cross's office with their usual lunch of sandwiches from the small stall located in their building on campus. Error didn't have an office, since he wasn't a teaching assistant, so he hung out in Cross's when his friend was there. There were technically three people stationed in the office, but the other two were hardly in except for their office hours, and Error had one of their blessings to use their desk when they weren't in. He sat down in said desk before throwing his friend one of the sandwiches.

"Roast beef? Again? Can't they change it up?" Cross grumbled.

"It was that or egg salad." Error shrugged and began to open the plastic box that housed his lackluster meal.

Cross grimaced and accepted his sandwich, given the alternative. He did NOT want to have to use a subway bathroom on his way home that night. They ate in silence for a moment before Cross began the interrogation he had been planning since the night before.

"So… your neighbor…" He began.

Error frowned. He knew it was coming, but he still didn't want to talk about it.

"What about him?" He asked, food in his mouth.

"Uh… Just tell me about him? I want to know who was able to crack your cold, dark, mean, little heart." Cross replied, mouth equally full.

"It's been two days. He hasn't cracked anything."

"You let him into your apartment, and he played your video games, so he was there a while. That's something. You hardly invite me over, but this guy you hardly know is allowed to come over and play games? I'm jealous."

Error glared at him.

"I don't invite you over because you're messy. Just look at you. You can't even eat right."

Cross looked down at himself. It was true, he had lettuce splattered on his chest and little droplets of mustard. He shrugged.

"Doesn't negate my point. You don't like people. Have you touched him yet?" Cross took another bite, squirting a bit more mustard onto his shirt. Error grimaced.

"No, I'm not a sexual predator." He snapped. Cross just laughed.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it, ass. Stop trying to avoid my questions."

"Ugh, fine. We shook hands…" Error paused. "And one night he accidentally grabbed my leg to push himself up."

Cross blinked.

"And? What happened?" He asked.

"That's just it, nothing happened. The handshake was alright, but I didn't short circuit when he touched my leg." He looked away. It was embarrassing to talk about.

"That's great." Cross said, his voice happy. Finally, Error looked back at his friend.

"What?"

"It's great news! I know you're not really in relationships because of the touching thing, so this is really awesome! You found someone you can kind of stand." Cross laughed. Error just looked away again.

"That's…" Error paused. "I guess it is good."

Cross continued to grin.

"What's his name?" He asked.

"You don't need to know."

"What am I gonna call him when I give my best man's speech at your wedding?"

This got Error to blush. Cross laughed.

"It's been two days, Cross! Two days! Stop making stupid jokes!"

"Two days and he's playing your video games, and his touch doesn't make you reboot. Maybe tonight you'll have a sleepover and you'll propose to him!" Cross couldn't contain his laughter.

"Shut up! And he stayed over last night." Error hissed before realizing what he had said. Cross dropped his sandwich onto his desk, sending a miniature tsunami of lettuce onto his laptop.

"He what? That's really fast for you, Error. You went from accidental leg touching to that?"

"Ugh, no! He doesn't have a bed, so I offered for him to stay over. He slept on the couch."

"Oh. You don't let me sleep on the couch!" Cross cried, then remembered his mission. "On the Error Scale of Affection, that's pretty high, just saying."

Error groaned. He hated the Error Scale of Affection. It had been something his therapist had given to his mom when he was a kid so that his whole family could work on his haphephobia and work on the scale. Cross had been introduced to it when he visited Error at home during undergrad. It had evolved from touching to Error in general. Chara had been the one to warp it when they had been "dating." Since he wasn't great at showing affection with touch, he had to learn other ways and Chara had charted it. Most of his attempts were utter failures. He was thankful for his friends, but sometimes it felt like they went a little too far.

"You're messy!" Error huffed again.

"And he's not? He's a guy!" Cross was getting a bit excitable now. Error could tell because his food was clinging to his cheeks.

"I'm not messy and I'm a guy!"

"You're weird!"

"You go to anime club. That's weird!"

"Epic goes to anime club too!"

"That's even weirder! He's not even a student! He's a security guard!"

"Um, excuse me?" A voice came from the door. The two immediately straightened up. Cross even wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Standing in the door was a small skeleton, looking in at them with his violet eyes.

"Oh, it's just you. Hey, Nightmare." Cross brushed the lettuce off his shirt.

"Just me?" Nightmare frowned and stepped into the office.

"I thought you were a student." Cross shrugged. His demeanor had changed a bit now that someone else was in the office. That's how he was; he was quiet, and some people even said intimidating, in front of people he didn't know, or didn't know well.

"I _am_ a student." Nightmare grumbled as he slid his backpack off and pulled a DVD out of it. "I just wanted to return this." He handed Cross the package.

"Did you like it?" Cross asked.

"No, not really." Nightmare shrugged. "I'll see you next Monday." He waved slightly before leaving the room.

"Who's that?" Error asked.

"Some kid from anime club. He never likes anything I let him borrow, but he keeps asking me for stuff to watch… Why are you looking at me like that?" Cross frowned.

"He likes you." Error laughed. "Aw, Crossie, you have an admirer."

"No, he doesn't! He wants to wear me down by insulting every single anime I like." Cross threw the DVD into his own bag.

"He's playing hard to get." Error snickered.

"It doesn't work that way!" Cross cried. "Hey! Wait! We're supposed to be talking about you!"

At that exact moment, Error's phone went off. It was a number he didn't know, so his first instinct was to not answer, but he decided to.

"One second, Cross." He paused, answering. "Hello?":

"Error?!" A panicked Ink's voice came across the phone. It jolted him.

"What? Ink? Are you alright?" He asked quickly.

"I need help with the subway!" Error could hear just how upset this made him. "I'm so confused! I don't know which line to take, how long it'll take, and I don't know which pass to buy and I need to figure it all out by tomorrow!"

Error paused and let out a deep breath. So, it wasn't a "I'm stranded in some strange part of the city and I don't know how the subway works." Type of emergency.

"Okay, I'm gonna need you to take a deep breath." Error instructed. He heard the intake of breath over the receiver. "Okay, one… two… three… let it out." Exhale. "So you feel better?"

"A little bit? Error, I'm still having a problem!"

"I know, and I'll help you when I get home tonight. Is that alright?"

There was a pause on the other end. Error was about to get worried when he heard another deep breath.

"Yeah, that's fine. Thank you, Error!" Ink said happily. "I'll let you go. I just got so worked up."

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you later." Error smiled slightly.

"See ya!" Ink said cheerily before hanging up the phone.

Error pulled his phone away just in time to see Cross giving him a sly look over the top of his almost finished sandwich.

"Oh cute," Cross jeered. "You even smiled."

Error groaned.

"It's so cute that you're taking care of him. Your little…" He paused. " _Inky._ "

And that was when Cross caught a mayonnaise packet with his face.

* * *

 **A/N:** I thought I posted this here, but I guess I didn't. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. :)


	4. Wanted Advice

When Error had gotten home that night, he had gone over to Ink's and helped him settle his subway issues. He even printed maps and schedules, helping Ink mark where he needed to be and when. Luckily for the artist, he only had to ride for one stop. He hadn't thought too much about living in the city, but now he knew it was much more difficult than he had imagined at first. He was thankful for Error's help, promising himself that he would do something nice for him.

It was now Wednesday morning and Ink was putting the finishing touches on his outfit for the day. He had instructions to dress nice, but not too nice. To dress with his own style but keep it classy. He didn't know much about fashion, but he put on what he thought would be good before slipping on his coat and wrapping his scarf around his neck. It was cold outside, so he needed to dress warm for his commute.

He stepped outside of his apartment and locked it, just as Error was stepping out.

"How lucky! We can walk to the station together!" He said happily as Error locked his own door. His neighbor yawned.

"How do you have so much energy?" Error grumbled. He still waited for Ink to catch up with him before heading down the stairs.

"I'm just really excited for my first day of work." Ink chirped. He recoiled when Error opened the door to the building, the frigid air going straight through his clothes and into his marrow.

"Told you to dress warm." Error laughed at his misery.

"I did! I guess it's not warm enough…" He shivered, puffing air into his cold hands in an attempt to warm them.

"Here." Error huffed, pulling off his own gloves and pushing them into Ink's hands.

"Wha? I can't take these, Error. Your hands will be cold now." Ink tried to give them back, but Error waved him off.

"I don't need them. Besides, I can't let a baby run around New Home City without gloves, can I?" He smirked. Ink pouted.

"I'm not a baby! Take your gloves back!" Ink growled, trying to force them onto Error again, but the other just laughed and dodged.

"Nope. Babies are short. You're short. Therefore, you're a baby."

"You're not much taller! And don't call me short!" Ink began hopping, trying to get the gloves anywhere onto Error's body. But the student was a master of evasion. He seemed to know exactly when and where Ink was going to be.

"Just put them on, Ink." Error laughed again and Ink finally conceded.

"Fine, but I'll get you back for this." He huffed, slipping the gloves onto his fingers. They were warm, and he did feel much better. Error was too nice to him. Even when he was being a jerk.

"Is giving you gloves to wear really worth revenge? I guess I need to think twice about being nice to you." Error laughed once more, seeming to have perked up from his grogginess.

"No but calling me short _is_." He crossed his arms. "I'll find something to make fun of you for."

"You already make fun of me for playing video games."

"That doesn't count."

"Is it because you enjoy them now too?"

"No! It's unrelated."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but there's not much I'm ashamed of."

"I'll find something."

"How?"

"I'm about to meet your ex, aren't I? I'm sure they have plenty of stories." He grinned at Error, who was only gently frowning.

"You'll have to figure out who it is first, shorty."

"Error!"

"We're here." Error changed the subject just as they got to the stairway that would lead them underground to the subway. "Got your temporary pass?"

Ink pulled the folded-up piece of paper out of his pocket that they had printed off the night before.

"Yep! Wait…" Ink scrunched his face up and looked at Error. "You're treating me like a kid again!"

Error laughed.

"Maybe you just bring out the mother in me. You're about the size of a child."

"Take your gloves back, asshole!" Ink peeled them off and tossed them right into Error's face. This just caused the other to howl in laughter.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Error bounced down the stairs, Ink following after him, still grumbling.

They walked to the turnstiles and Error scanned his metro card and Ink scanned the barcode on his piece of paper. He held his breath, waiting for the red light to turn green. When it did, he sighed in relief and pushed through. Error was waiting for him.

"Okay… You need the green line…" Error mumbled to himself, looking at the signs. "This way." He motioned for Ink to follow him.

As they walked, Error pointed at various signs and what they meant, where Ink would need to c check to make sure he was going on the train that was heading into the city rather than out of the city. Ink tried to commit everything to memory, but most of it was in one earhole and out the other. He was about to get overwhelmed with all the information he was already forgetting, when they stopped.

"And this is your platform." Error announced. The platform wasn't busy, but it wasn't empty either. It was filled with early birds like him who wanted to make sure they were on time, or who had a long way to go.

"Thanks for helping me, Error." He smiled at the other skeleton, forgetting about Error's insults. Error stared at him for a moment before smiling.

"No problem. If you need help again, you can always call me." He said.

"Do you usually leave at this time?" Ink asked.

"Yeah, most days. Why?"

"Maybe we could-" Ink was cut off by the screech of metal on metal as his train came to a halt at the platform. "Ah! I gotta go!" He turned quickly to leave, but Error caught his sleeve.

"Not without saying goodbye." Error gently patted Ink's chest, which puzzled the artist but he decided to ignore it for the moment.

"Bye!" He said happily.

"Bye." Error returned.

He turned on his heel and darted into the train, grabbing a seat before anyone else could. Not that he needed to race to it, since there were plenty of seats for everyone that was getting on. He started to pull his sketchbook from his messenger bag when he noticed something in the chest pocket of his coat: a pair of gloves. He smiled to himself.

 _Oh Error._

* * *

When he got to the art gallery, Ink had to use the buzzer on the door, since they technically weren't open yet. He was a bit flustered. Error's directions for the subway had been perfect and easy to follow; he hadn't had any problems. But getting the art gallery had been tough. He was glad to have left his apartment when he did. He arrived just on time.

A few moments passed before a girl came to the door and unlocked it, smiling slightly at him.

"Ink?" She asked.

"Yep!" He replied cheerily as she let him inside.

"It's nice to meet you. My name's Chara. I'm the daughter of the owners." She said and locked the door back. "I'll be training you today. For the first few weeks you'll really only be learning about the art and our artists, and how to work the system. It can get kind of confusing, but we have cheat sheets." She winked at him.

They were walking through the gallery. It was small, but Ink was wide eyed as he stared at the pieces on display. Seeing other's work filled him with inspiration. He wanted to sit down on one of the benches and begin sketching right away, but at least even he had enough sense to squash the impulse. Later, after work, all bets were off.

"That's great! I have a poor memory, so that'll be pretty helpful…" He admitted, scratching his cheek. He realized he was still wearing the gloves Error lent him, so he moved to pull them off.

Chara paused and watched him.

"Huh. My ex used to have gloves exactly like that. Wow, I haven't thought about him in years." She laughed and continued walking. "Let me show you the basement. That's where our offices and storage is. We don't keep any paintings down there; all the ones we have in the gallery are the ones on display and…"

Ink spaced out. He was pretty sure he had found Error's ex, which was exciting. Before he could figure out how to broach the subject, Chara had moved on. Now he was trying to figure out exactly how to bring it back up. He wasn't exactly tactful, so he knew he couldn't broach the subject naturally. And then he realized Error's ex was a _girl._ What if Error wasn't even attracted to guys? That would put a damper on things. But if this girl liked art and was kind of artsy, hadn't he predicted that Error would like artists?

"Ink? …Ink?" Chara was staring at him. He blinked, then laughed.

"Y-yeah? Sorry… I was lost in my thoughts…" He admitted, rubbing the back of his skull.

"…" She frowned at him before laughing. "So, you're a space cadet? Noted." He blushed slightly. "I was just saying that here's the door to the basement." She gestured to the open door that led to stairs.

"Ah…" He laughed again before descending. She followed after him. "Um… I guess I have to ask… Would your ex happen to be named Error?"

There was a pause, then a laugh.

"Actually, yeah. How'd you figure?"

"The gloves… They're Error's that he let me borrow this morning."

"He let you borrow his gloves?"

"Yeah, we were walking to the train station together and my hands were cold so he gave me his gloves." _Made fun of me a lot too._ He added mentally. They reached the landing and he turned to look at Chara. She looked thoughtful.

"That's pretty high on the Error Scale of Affection." She mumbled to herself, still puzzled. "How do you know him?" She asked instead.

"What's the Error Scale of Affection?" He asked. "And he's my neighbor."

She laughed.

"It's something stupid we did in college. He's not the best at showing that he cares, and he already had a scale from childhood for his haphephobia, so we just messed with it. We kind of ranked his shows of affection, usually for me. He HATED it." She was laughing in earnest now. "I guess he learned from it, if he's giving you his gloves."

Ink colored a bit, and it didn't go unnoticed by the young woman.

"You seem pretty interested in your neighbor…" She led him to the far side of the basement, where the break area was. Everything was tidy and clean. The coffee pot was just finishing and Ink relished the smell.

"H-He's interesting." He said truthfully. She tilted her head and laughed.

"Maybe sometime I could tell you stories about him… Since he's so _interesting._ " She laughed again. "Okay, but seriously, let's get started.

[Line]

The day passed mostly uneventfully. Surprisingly, Ink was really good at committing artists to memory. He memorized their artwork and who had produced it quickly. It was easier to attach a name to a painting rather than to a face. Chara would randomly pop in to check on him, and she always ended with a random fact about Error.

"He _really_ loves chocolate. He'll eat all variations."

"He really likes stars and LOVES going stargazing. Bonus if it's camping."

"He likes things to be neat. He hates clutter."

She seemed to relish in teasing him. He didn't like how obvious it seemed that he liked Error. Maybe it was because he steered the conversation back to him after they had moved on to another topic. That was probably it. Chara seemed so happy to give him facts. It was as if she was hoping to set him up with Error. Pushing him towards him.

"Hey Chara?" He asked as they began closing up the gallery for the day. He had met a few other workers, but they were part time and hadn't left much of an impression on him. He had forgotten them already.

"Yeah?" She asked as she began dimming the lights.

"Does Error…" He took a breath. "Does like like…?"

"Skeletons?" She asked. "Yeah."

"N-Not what I meant…"

"Oh!" She turned towards him. "Yeah. It's actually why we broke up."

"It was?" His eyes were exclamation points. Chara smiled awkwardly at him.

"Yeah… He figured it out, and we broke up. We were still friends after… I guess we still are, though I haven't spoken to him in a long time. It's nice to see someone interested in him. I just want him to be happy." She shrugged and they moved to the front door. He smiled at her.

"It's good that he has a friend like you. Was it hard? Being friends with your ex?" He asked, thinking about Dream.

"Sometimes? I liked him a lot, even if he could be an ass. But I guess I knew for a while that things weren't working out. I was glad to have figured it out, but it was still sad. He felt bad about it, but it wasn't something to feel bad about. Some people just aren't compatible, no matter how much they want to be. I loved him, and I know he loved me, but he couldn't love me in the way that I needed to be." She locked the door behind them.

"Oh." Ink said thoughtfully. It sounded a lot like him and Dream. Only, he was the one who couldn't love Dream the way he needed to be.

"And now that we're off work, I can tell you one more thing about Error." She spun to face him. "About the chocolate… he'll also eat it off of anywhere…" She winked and skipped down the sidewalk before he could react. "See you tomorrow!" She waved and disappeared around a corner.

Ink was left to find his way home as a flustered mess from imagining him… chocolate… and Error. He had to tuck his head into his scarf to hide his embarrassment.


	5. Chocolate Cake and Pizza

For the remained of the week, the two neighbors walked to the subway station together. Ink made sure he woke up in time, though he usually didn't have time for breakfast before leaving. However, he was able to grab a bagel at one of the shops near the gallery because he arrived with plenty of time every morning. Chara was usually there early and would let him in. He was able to find his way every morning easily, which was a first for him. He would get lost in his own neighborhood as a kid, but with Error's detailed maps he was able to make it. Ink had embarrassedly told him that he got pretty lost on the way home on his first day and without saying anything, Error had gone to work. He printed several copies of the area surrounding the gallery and marked the route Ink needed to take to get to and from the subway station. He even made a small one so that it would fit in Ink's wallet.

"That's pretty high on the Error Scale of Affection." Chara and said after Ink explained why he had all the maps. One for his bag, one for his coat, one for his pants, and one in his wallet.

"You say that about everything he does for me." Ink sighed. It had been that morning, Friday morning.

"Because everything he does for you is high!" She laughed. "It's new territory."

"I'm sure stuff he did for you was high on the scale." He huffed, scribbling some more in his sketchbook. He still needed to cash in on his winnings from his and Error's bet. Maybe this weekend.

"Hm…" Chara thought. "I suppose so. But he doesn't treat Cross anywhere near the way he treats you."

"You know Cross?"

"Yep! I was the reason they became friends." She brushed her hair off her shoulder.

"What'd you do?" He blinked, his eyelights changing.

"It was freshman year of college… I was a little for a sorority, and they were new recruits for different frats."

"Wait, Error was in a fraternity?" Ink couldn't believe it. Error was not the type. At least, he hadn't thought so.

"For a whole two months and then he and Cross quit." She laughed and shrugged. "But back to the story."

"Oh yeah."

"They were in different frats, and those frats HATED each other. My sorority was making a homecoming float with Cross's frat and I knew Error from a class we had together. I got along with both of them pretty well, but call it meanness or just plain evil, I decided to make them fight over me."

"They fought over you? Like a feud?"

She clicked her tongue.

"Cross didn't seem interested at all. He was nice enough to me and was my friend, but he was indifferent towards me romantically. That didn't stop me. I spread some rumors about myself and told him it was Error who spread them. Then I told Error it was Cross. We were working on our parade float when Error's frat just kind of burst in and chaos broke out. Everyone was fighting. Error and Cross went straight for each other." She was cackling.

"That's harsh." Ink was horrified that his boss could do such a thing. She finally calmed down.

"It was fine in the end. They figured out that it was just a stupid rumor and became friends after that. They never figured out it was me. I was going to tell them, but their friendship was going pretty well, and I didn't want that to change." She shrugged.

Ink had thought she was devious, but he supposed she got what she wanted: her two friends to become friends themselves. He was a bit jealous of her ruthlessness. He wouldn't be able to go head first into something like that. He couldn't even make up his mind on whether or not he should ask Error on a date.

On his way home, he stopped by the supermarket as he always did. He had to go just about every day because there was only so much he could carry the two blocks it took to get to his apartment. He wasn't the best as making his own food, so he threw some frozen meals in his basket. He passed the boxed cake mixes and stopped.

 _Maybe I should bake a cake for Error? To thank him?_

He frowned. He couldn't bake and he didn't even own a cake pan. He turned around and went to the bakery, scooping up a chocolate cake. He would take it over there tonight. Maybe by then he could channel Chara through him and ask him out. She had made sure he remembered Error's love for chocolate. It was only right to draw strength from her.

After getting into the apartment building, he passed Error's room and listened for a moment to see if he was home yet or not. From the noise level, he was not. He sighed and went into his own apartment. He would just have to wait then.

He put his things away and laid down on his bed, pulling out his sketchbook and beginning to draw.

He awoke two hours later.

In a panic, he jumped up, checked the clock, grabbed the cake and ran next door. He hoped he hadn't missed Error. Error didn't seem like a person who wanted to go out and party on the weekend, but he hadn't seemed the type to join a fraternity either. He knocked.

"Error?" He asked through the door. He could hear shuffling as his neighbor came to the door and opened it and…

"Hey, Er-" He paused in his greeting, looking up at a skeleton that was more definitely not Error.

He was about the same height as Error, with one red eye and one white eye, and some kind of scar on his cheek. He was… intimidating. He stared down at the artist, unblinking and expressionless.

"Beer." He said.

"U-um…" Ink paused, hoping the other skeleton would explain a bit more. A few seconds passed and the other didn't say anything.

"Um… I'm his neighbor, Ink."

The other skeleton shifted slightly.

"Will you tell him I came by?" Ink smiled at him. The skeleton looked from him to the chocolate cake in his hands. He tilted his head slightly before moving aside, offering for Ink to come in.

"He won't be long. You can wait if you want." The skeleton said.

Ink happily went in and placed the cake on the small counter before turning around to… What looked like a tornado had hit Error's apartment. The other skeleton was watching him.

"There's… mess…" Ink whispered. His companion flinched and moved into action, beginning to gather things and place them on top of a backpack that was sitting in the corner. The space became uncluttered in the span of a few minutes.

"Was that all your stuff?" Ink asked. The skeleton nodded. A silence passed between them. Then he grinned and extended a hand. "I'm Ink!"

The other grabbed his hand and gave it a light shake.

"Cross."

Ink's eyes immediately flashed to stars. It was his lucky day! He was meeting two of Error's friends in one week. He wasn't sure if Chara counted anymore, since she didn't seem to talk to Error much anymore, but he had just met Cross! The other side of the trinity.

They sat down on the couch and Cross pulled out his phone, messing with it. Ink looked to the TV screen. It was showing the home screen of one of Error's games, the one he suspected that Cross had wanted to play the other night.

"Why aren't you playing?" Ink asked.

"You came." He shrugged and went back to his phone. A man of few words, Ink concluded.

He decided to bring out his sketchbook and worked on the sketch he had been doing before work that morning. It was just the look of the office from his desk, but it was something. It was hard not to do it with his reference material, but he was going to try. He poked his tongue out of the side of his mouth, concentrating. For a brief moment he thought he heard the very soft click of a camera, but he ignored it.

"I'm back." The door opened and Ink shot his head up, beaming.

"Hey, Error!" He said happily. Error gave him a small smile in return.

"Hey Ink. Cross." Error moved to the little kitchen, setting his bags down. He glanced at the cake.

Taking his cue, Ink hopped up and went over to him.

"That's for helping me so much this past week. Just my little way of saying thank you, since I can't do much." He laughed softly.

"You can do plenty." Error said, putting a soda in the artist's hands. "That's for you."

"I thought you were getting beer?" He asked.

"I did. But you don't drink so I got you some sodas." Error placed the others in the fridge. There was hardly anything in it.

"You hoping I was going to come by?" Ink asked, his heart beating happily.

"Cross told me you were here, so I made sure to get you something." Error shrugged. Even if it wasn't exactly what Ink had been hoping, Error still thought of him. He felt his eyes change to hearts, but he blinked quickly, setting them back to their different shapes.

Error had seen the brief flash, and tried not to think about it much, but it gave him a spark of hope. Maybe he really should take Cross's advice and just ask him out. He still couldn't be sure that Ink would say yes though… He hated to admit that he was nervous about it.

"Thanks!" Ink chirped, opening his soda. Error took a can of beer for himself and one for Cross. He started to head to the couch when he saw Cross had gotten up and was sprawled on his bed.

"What are you doing?" He stopped.

"I'm laying down." Cross said, moving to prop himself up on one elbow to look at the two. He had a slight smirk on his face that Error read clearly.

"No. I meant, why did you move from the couch?"

"S'more comfy over here." Cross winked slightly. Error frowned, eyes narrowing. He knew what Cross was playing at, and it took all of him not to launch himself at his friend and throttle him. He did NOT want to be teased in front of Ink.

Ink looked between the two, his eyes changing to question marks. He wasn't sure what was going on between the two, but he could sense Error tensing. And then, Error felt relaxed again.

Without a word, Error walked to the one window in the apartment and opened it, letting the crisp night air in. He held one of the cans out towards Cross.

"Cheers, Cross." He grinned before moving his arm over to the window and releasing the can so that it dropped down.

"Dude!" Cross scrambled up from the bed and shot towards the door.

"I thought you only called Epic that?" Error asked through his laugh.

"Shut up!" Cross cried before he exited the apartment to retrieve his beer.

"That was mean." Ink was holding back a snicker of his own.

"He deserved it. And you're laughing too." Error pointed out.

"Yeah but…" Ink sputtered and then let out a full series of laughs. "It was funny…"

They settled on the couch now that Cross had vacated it.

"What was he teasing you about?" Ink asked.

"He was teasing about…" Error looked over at Ink and shook his head. "It's not important…"

"…Is it as unimportant as…" Ink looked at him slyly. "The Error Scale of Affection?"

Error's eyes suddenly were covered in "error" signs. Ink panicked.

"Error? Are you okay? I didn't mean to…" He reached towards him but remembered what Chara had said about haphephobia. It would be better not to touch him in this situation.

The signs faded and Error's eyes went back to normal. Ink smiled in relief.

"I'm so sorry! I… I didn't mean to upset you." Ink said quickly. Error laughed.

"You just… surprised me. I haven't had a glitch that sudden in a long time." Error continued laughing. "I guess you found my ex then?"

"Chara? She's my boss. She's told me a lot of stories about you…" Ink said slyly, deciding it was okay to go back to teasing. "I promised I would find something to tease you about."

Error groaned.

"And she's a gold mine for that…" He leaned back on the couch. "We were going to order pizza. You wanna stay?" He asked. Ink perked up.

"Yeah!"

"I'm back." Cross stated as he opened the door, panting heavily. "I found this." He said and moved out of the way, revealing a small skeleton with bright golden eyes.

"Hi everyone. I came to check on you, Ink." Dream said, smiling happily. "Blue really wanted to come but Papyrus needed him for something… I think he just didn't want Blue in this… part of town."

Ink hopped up. He wasn't sure if he was excited to see his friend or not. It had kind of been… nice to not think about him for the past week. He knew Dream was keeping a respectful distance, and he appreciated it. He had been a little caught up in Error to really think about his past amour too much. That didn't mean he wasn't happy to see him.

"Hey, Dream!" He said happily. "Sorry, Error. I guess I'll have to get pizza with you guys another time."

Error tilted his head.

"You both could stay." He offered. Cross frowned at him in surprise.

Dream blinked, but Ink cheered.

"Great! C'mon Dream. You gotta meet everyone!" Ink dragged Dream into the small apartment. A soda was placed in his hand and hands were shaken and names exchanged. Ink was able to observe Error shaking someone else's hand. He did look pretty uncomfortable. He tried to remember if he had looked like that when he shook his hand, but, unsurprisingly, he couldn't remember.

"What kind of pizza do you want?" Cross asked, pulling out his phone to make the order. They had all sat back down, Error and Ink on the couch and Cross and Dream on the bed.

"Cheese, please." Dream spoke up first.

"Cheese?" Cross asked, meaning to confirm. But Dream squirmed under his gaze.

"I'm vegetarian." Dream spouted.

"…" Cross continued to look at him. Dream felt even more awkward.

"I-I don't like to eat meat because the animals feel so many negative feelings in the process and it makes me ill." Dream rushed out, his hands fidgeting with his pants.

"Cross, stop." Error commanded, looking over at the two of them.

"I only asked what pizza he wanted." Cross huffed, finally looking away and tacking onto his phone.

"You're making him uncomfortable." Error rolled his eyes.

"…" Cross answered, already typing in what kind of pizza he and Error wanted. It had been the same for years. "Ink?"

"I'll eat whatever. I'm not picky." Ink said, smiling slightly. It was kind of weird to have Dream hanging out with him and the new guy he liked. Cross seemed to be a good distraction for him. The other skeleton was too preoccupied with the scary guy next to him that he was hardly paying any attention to him and Error. He laughed softly to himself, thinking about what an odd couple the two would make.

"Ordered." Cross announced. "We should watch a movie."

"A movie? That's boring. Don't you have some games?" Ink asked, turning to Error who frowned and shrugged.

"Error doesn't have many visitors." Cross explained as he hopped up from the bed and plucked the game controller up. He scrolled through the applications until he found the streaming service he was looking for. "Let's watch a scary one."

"Scary?" Dream asked meekly, seeming to shrink back on the bed. Cross watched him.

"A really scary one." Cross looked back to the screen. "The Haunting of Waterfall. That's supposed to be good."

"Dream doesn't want to watch something scary." Error sighed. "I told you to stop."

"I stopped. Now I'm choosing a movie. No one else is saying anything, so that's a yes." Cross chose the movie.

Ink looked back at Dream, who was still cowering. He thought of moving to him to comfort him but… that wasn't his job anymore. He wanted to sit here with Error and not be responsible for Dream… So, he decided to do just that. He turned away but could feel Dream watching him.

Before the movie could play, Error jumped up and snatched the controller from Cross.

"We're not watching that." Error huffed. Dream let out a sigh of relief.

"We're watching The Monster Centipede 5."

* * *

Dream considered it a blessing from the highest being in all of the heavens when their pizza arrived. They had to pause the movie for Error to get it, and this gave Dream some time to breathe. It wasn't that he thought that a giant centipede made of monsters was scary, it was all the jump scares thrown into the movie, along with the music. He caught that weirdo named Cross staring at him several times during the first half of the movie, and he was getting the feeling the other skeleton was just doing this to make him uncomfortable. Speaking of being uncomfortable…

He had to watch Ink and Error grow closer throughout the movie. After they got their food and started eating, he had to watch, with his own eyes, a practical stranger wipe pizza sauce off Ink's face. He even noticed Cross was watching them intently. He wasn't sure what to make of everything, but he knew he wanted to leave. Ink was doing fine.

Finally, the movie ended. He helped Error clean up. That was one good thing about the skeleton; he kept a clean house. Ink did not, though it wasn't trash that the artist left around. It was art supplies, sketch books, mugs of coffee. It would probably drive Error insane.

"I'm going now. It was nice meeting you guys." Dream said as he inched to the door. Cross began putting on his things.

"I'm leaving too." Cross announced. Dream tried to hide his grimace. They would probably have to walk to the subway station together. "I'll walk with you." Dream tried not to sigh.

"Sounds good. Bye, Ink. Take care of yourself." Dream smiled to his friend.

"Bye, Dream!" Ink gave him a hug and pulled back, stepping back inside Error's apartment.

"You're not going to your apartment?" Dream asked. He watched as Ink's cheekbones became covered in a speckled dusting of rainbow.

"I'm going to eat cake with Error before heading back." He said and shrugged. "I'll see you around." He closed the door on the two others.

Dream frowned and stared at the door, forgetting that his partner was waiting for him. He hadn't expected to feel like this when he saw Ink with another person. But it was real. They were really over. Their friendship wasn't the same. He didn't even know about this Error person besides that Ink thought he looked neat. It was the end.

Cough.

He turned around to see Cross waiting for him. He tried to smile.

"S-Sorry… I was just thinking…" He laughed again and began to walk down the stairs.

He heard Cross climbing down behind him, but otherwise the skeleton was silent.

They walked down the sidewalk, side-by-side, in silence. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable. Dream was glad. He wasn't alone, but he didn't have to say anything. Cross's presence was enough, and even comforting, since he expected a thirty-foot creature to slither out of the shadows. He finally decided to break the silence.

"Cross?" He asked.

"Hm?"

"He likes him, doesn't he?" He asked.

"Who likes who?" Cross looked down at him.

"Error. Does Error like Ink?" Dream met his eyes for a brief second before looking back down at the ground. He heard the other let out a breath.

"And if he does?" Cross asked. Dream could feel his heart crumple. So it was true.

"Then…I…" Dream stopped walking. He was almost shaking. "Then it's really over between me and Ink."

"Did you date?"

"We broke up." Dream frowned, glaring at a particular crack in the side.

"Then why is it over if Error likes him?" Cross tilted his head, gazing at the small skeleton.

"Because Ink likes him too. I can tell and then that means we really…" Dream caught his sob in his throat.

"That's not your problem anymore." Cross felt a bit awkward, since he wasn't the best at advice. Dream wiped a few of his tears away.

"I-I know… I'm the one who broke up with him… I shouldn't be sad… I just… I thought…" He shook his head. He wasn't making any sense.

"Sometimes the best thing you can do to get over an ex is to distract yourself." Cross nodded to himself, as if he believed he were giving the best advice in the world.

"Distract myself? How?" Dream asked, sniffling. He finally tilted his head upwards to look at his companion. The skeleton was looking down at him, but not in the same, intense way he had been all night.

"Like this." Cross said. He gently grabbed Dream's chin and leaned down.

Their mouths touched, and in that moment, Dream forgot about Ink.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all for reading! I appreciate all of your reviews!


	6. A Single Rose Can Change Everything

After Ink closed the door to the apartment, he turned back to Error, who was looking at him strangely.

"What?" He asked, blinking.

"…Nothing, I guess." Error shook his head. "I guess we should have cake, then?"

Ink nodded happily.

"Yeah! Make sure you cut a big piece for yourself." He wandered to the kitchen, wanting to watch Error. And just be close to him. Their arms touched as Error started to serve.

"…Don't tell me you're scared." Error looked down at him, mid-slice.

Ink thought about it. He wasn't scared. The movie was stupid. Laughable, even. He could lie to Error and say that he was. Maybe Error would hold him close, protect him from the boogeyman. But he didn't want to lie to Error, so he shook his head.

"Not really. Just really excited for cake." Well, a little lie wouldn't hurt. Error thrust a paper plate in his hands. "Oh. Thanks." He smiled awkwardly and went back to the couch, plans foiled.

Error soon joined him and had a big piece of cake, as he had been instructed to do. Ink watched as he took a bite and seemed to savor it. He laughed softly.

"What?" Error asked, swallowing.

"It's just… You looked like you really enjoyed that." Ink laughed again.

"So what? You brought chocolate because Chara told you. You were being sneaky." Error huffed and pointed his fork at Ink.

"Maybe… I just wanted to make sure you enjoyed your thank you gift!" Ink chimed. "By the way… Why did you keep telling Cross to stop?"

Error sighed.

"You see… Dream's cute." Error began. He looked at Ink who had started to scowl. He quickly tried to cover his mistake. "What I meant is that he's cute to Cross."

Ink's face relaxed. Error sighed in relief. Maybe Ink did like him… He had thought it might be a possibility, but when he chose to stay with him instead of going home, and then stood so close to him in the kitchen, he was becoming more certain. And seeing that scowl when he mentioned that someone else was cute just seemed to confirm his suspicions.

"And Cross he's… kind of intimidating when you first meet him." Error continued.

"Yeah… He doesn't say much and just stares." Ink agreed, thinking back. "What does that have to do…?"

"He knows he's intimidating, and being shy doesn't help, so he flirts in a weird way." Error frowned down at his cake. "He was staring at your friend pretty intensely to try and make him squirm. He then assessed the situation and figured Dream didn't like being scared, so he chose a scary movie to watch. I always tell him to flirt like a regular monster, but he won't listen."

"You chose a scary movie too." Ink pointed out.

"It wasn't scary, it was stupid. But Cross was satisfied. I'm guessing he wanted to walk to the station with Dream, so he wanted a scary movie to make Dream want someone to walk with."

"That's diabolical." Ink's eyes widened in wonder.

"That's Cross. Maybe Dream can distract him." Error sighed.

"Distract him?" Ink was getting a bit bored of the Cross topic, but if it meant getting information on someone interested in Dream, he would continue.

"Yeah… He has another kid out for him. It's some kid he knows from anime club. He stops by his office every single day. Doesn't say much but annoys the hell out of Cross. His classes aren't even in our building. It's kind of funny, but Cross is pretty annoyed." Error stuffed another piece of cake in his mouth.

 _So,_ Ink thought, _Dream already has a rival_. If he wanted Cross, that is. He had watched his friend squirm under Cross's gaze. He wasn't so sure Dream would fall for someone like that. But his mind wandered back to the more important topic: Error.

"So…" Ink began, his voice turning sly. "How do you flirt?"

Error almost sputtered his cake out. He quickly swallowed as a blush spread over his cheekbones.

"W-why?" He asked.

"If Cross flirts weirdly, I was wondering if you do too." Ink tilted his head, reveling in Error's blush. So maybe the dark skeleton liked him as well.

"Um…" Error thought. "I don't think I flirt weirdly. I haven't really thought about it."

"Hm…" Ink nodded in fake contemplation. "Will I know it if I see it?"

"Probably not." Error half laughed. "Now that you know about the Error Scale of Affection, you probably know it was made because I'm terrible at showing how I feel."

"I think you're getting better at it." Ink said without thinking.

"What?" Error frowned.

"Er… Chara… Is always saying stuff about the Scale…" Now Ink was embarrassed as well. He was basically having to admit he was talking about the things Error did for him and that Chara ranked them.

"She always loves a chance to embarrass me…" Error grumbled, stabbing his cake and shoveling a piece into his mouth. He wanted to drop the subject. Ink took the hint.

"So, I've decided to cash in my reward from the other night." He said triumphantly.

"Oh? You wanted me to model for you right? I didn't agree to doing it nude." Error grinned, teasing. Ink instantly colored.

"I don't want you to pose nude, anyway!" He huffed and crossed his arms.

"I was thinking," Ink started. He needed to sell this correctly and hope that Error got the picture. "We could go to various spots around the city or maybe just one, and I could draw you in the scenery. We could make a date… a day of it." He felt heat rush to his face at his 'mistake'. A Freudian Slip, perhaps.

Error looked away. He had caught it, and he wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't like Ink had _really_ asked him on a date. A simple slip. But it had still been said, and by the blush on Ink's face, it was something he hadn't meant to say, but perhaps wanted to. Error looked back at him.

"Nighttime." He said.

"Nighttime…?" Ink frowned, a bit confused.

"Nighttime. We should go out at night. I know you're new to the city, so… You might not know, but there's quite a lot of things going on at night. I think you'd like it." Error looked away again.

"…Okay!" Ink agreed. "When should we go?"

"How about…" Error tried to think. Weeknights were out because of their schedules… Weekends were more fun, so... "Tomorrow?"

Ink grinned, his eyes forming double stars.

"Tomorrow night it is!"

* * *

"You did what?!" Error cried into the phone. He had called Cross that morning to talk to him about the prospect of a date with Ink and instead he got an update on Cross's love life.

"Yeah. He was all sad about you flirting with Ink. Did you know they used to date?" Cross sounded nonchalant about it.

"They did?" Error thought about the picture on Ink's home screen. That had been Dream, hadn't it? He had noticed the picture wasn't there the next time he saw Ink use his phone.

"Wait, never mind." Error shook his head. "Don't change the subject. You thought the best way to cheer him up was to kiss him?"

"Okay. I'm seeing how this sounds. But look on the bright side. He was mostly upset because he could tell Ink likes you back. So, I'm doing you a favor by distracting the ex so that you can move in."

"Don't try to justify kissing some random guy you just met with me… Ink likes me back?" Error asked. He felt like a schoolgirl.

"That's what Dream said. You should make a move."

"We're going on a maybe date tonight?" Error sounded so unsure of himself that he even blushed. He _was_ a schoolgirl.

"A maybe date? The hell is that?"

"We made a bet during the week and he won. His prize was that I would pose for him for a drawing and he wants to cash in on it tonight. He called it a date… and then corrected himself to 'day.'" Error laid it all out for his friend.

"…" Cross was silent for a moment, thinking. "With what Dream told me and his slip, he wants it to be a date. You could treat it like one."

"I don't know how to date."

"You dated Chara, right? What would you do if you were taking her on a date?"

"I guess I'd dress nice-"

"You really do need to get rid of that hobo-chic look you have going on."

"Shut up! It's comfy and it lasts."

"We'll talk about your ratty ass clothes later. Anyway, go on."

"Next I'd…" Error blushed, sinking back into his couch. "I'd get her some flowers."

"Good choice."

"But he's a guy."

"Does it matter? It's the thought that counts."

"He'll make fun of me." Error grumbled, just imagining Ink's reaction. He'd laugh and call him a weirdo for getting flowers for a guy.

"Would he? Maybe a single rose then." Cross was trying his best. "It'll show him your intention, but not be as big as a whole bouquet."

"Is that what you would do for Dream?" Error teased, trying to break the tension he was feeling in the pit of his chest cavity.

"Nah, he's a full bouquet of roses kind of guy."

"You barely know him. Did he even like kissing you?"

"…He hit me, but only after he kissed me back. I got his number though."

"…so happy for you." Error grumbled. Maybe he should be as brash as Cross. "Okay, a rose it is."

"Then what?"

"I guess we can eat something? I kind of promised to take him out to all the cool night spots."

"The food trucks then. Casual, but fun."

"Then I guess we can go up to the observatory deck of the Mettaton State Building. That has a good view for him to draw from, doesn't it?"

"Maybe? I don't know much about art, but it would be romantic."

"You're not helping. Maybe the park would be better?" Error sighed. Planning a date was hard.

"Both. You should do both."

"Both? What if it's too late after the observatory deck?"

"We both know the park is more fun after midnight."

"That's true. So, both it is." Error nodded to himself. He paused.

"Don't you think it's weird that the guy you're interested in is named Dream and the guy that's interested in you is named Nightmare?" He asked. Cross groaned loudly into the phone.

"Please DON'T. I don't think he's interested in me. I think he just lives to annoy me. He's a literal nightmare for me."

"Just let him down easy." Error laughed.

"I'M THE ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE LET DOWN EASY."

* * *

Ink adjusted his collar in the mirror for the millionth time that evening. It didn't even matter. He was going to be wearing his coat and scarf most of the night and if he did take it off, the collar would need adjusting anyway. But he was nervous, and he was fidgeting.

 _Stars, Ink, it's not really a date. Just two friends. Hanging out._

It was kind of romantic, though, going out on the town at night. Error seemed to think it would be better for drawing, and maybe that was true.

He grumbled and jerked his collar once more. His phone dinged as he received a text. He still had a while before they were going to head out, so he sat down on his bed and checked his messages. It was from Blue.

'Do you know a person named Cross?' His small friend asked.

'Yeah. He's Error's friend. I met him last night.'

A pause.

'HE KISSED DREAM!'

The phone slid out of Ink's hand. He blinked rapidly. Error did say that he could tell Cross was attracted to Dream. But _damn_ the guy worked fast. He felt a flurry of emotions swell up inside of him. He quickly picked up his phone again and texted Blue back.

'What else did Dream say?'

'I'm not supposed to tell you…'

Ink sighed.

'But I will because it might help you feel better.'

Ink perked up at that. Make him feel better? How would it make him feel better? Maybe it would help his soul pick one emotion and let him feel it. Sometimes he wished he could just reach inside his chest cavity and pull the stupid thing out.

'?' He typed.

'Dream didn't know how to feel about it at first. But… He told me he liked it. He asked me for advice on how to approach Cross. Isn't that wonderful?'

Ink's soul stopped its chaotic dance and he was flooded with the first emotion: relief. His relief was soon washed away and replaced with excitement. He grinned.

'Wow! That's great!' He sent. It really _was_ great. He didn't feel so bad about pursuing Error. If Dream had found someone else to be interested in, he was allowed to as well, right?

'I know! I hope that makes you feel better about Error. Any updates?'

'We're going out tonight. Not as a date though. I'm going to have him model for me.'

'Still sounds romantic~ Have fun!'

Ink smiled softly at his phone. He was happy for Dream, truly. He wasn't sure how good of a fit Cross was for him, but that wasn't his place. It was an unofficial, unspoken end to their mourning period. Now he just had to worry about making a move on Error before he fell too far into the "friend zone" and couldn't get out.

He lost himself in his thoughts when his phone rang. He jumped and looked down. Oh, it was just the alarm he set. He had five minutes to finish getting ready. He sprang up and hastily put on his coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck. He slipped on his shoes and was picking up his messenger bag when he heard a knock at the door. He smiled slightly.

"Coming!" He called and double checked to make sure he had everything he needed for the night.

Sketchbook, pencils, charcoal (just in case), wallet, phone… He frowned and turned around. It was sitting on the bed. He quickly tucked it into his pack. He checked one more time. His keys. He looked up. They were hanging next to the door. Error had suggested it.

" _If you put something in the same place every day, it'll become a habit for you to get it from that place."_

Ink smiled at the memory. Error was so patient with his memory issues. He said he had them too, but he had worked on it since he was a kid, so it wasn't so bad now.

"I'm ready-" Ink started as he opened the door, but stopped in his tracks.

Error was standing just beyond the threshold, dressed better than Ink had ever seen him. He wasn't dressed to the nines by any means, but he still looked sharp. He was wearing a maroon dress shirt, untucked, jeans that didn't have any holes or scuffs, those same ratty tennis shoes, and a leather jacket Ink had never seen. The cherry on top was that he was wearing his glasses, sending Ink's soul fluttering. He had his arm stretched out towards Ink, a single red rose in his grasp.

"F-For you…" Error grumbled, averting his eyes. His fidgeting got worse the longer Ink stared.

"You're wearing your glasses." Ink blurted. Error's already blue cheekbones brightened.

"Y-Yeah… I…" Error started. _I want to see every moment._ He thought, but decided it was better not to say that. Ink hadn't even acknowledged his stupid rose. He was an idiot for following Cross's advice.

"I don't see very well at night." While this was true, it wasn't the truth.

"Oh." Ink simply replied. He finally focused his attention on the rose that Error was still holding out towards him. "This is for me?"

"Y-yeah…" Error frowned. "You don't have to take it." He started to withdraw his hand.

Ink quickly shot his hand out and took the rose.

"Thanks, Error." He grinned, holding the rose close to his chest. "Why though?" He asked. He shouldn't have pressed it. Error already looked out of his element and now he looked downright uncomfortable.

"Uh…" Error scratched the back of his skull.

"Is this a date?" Ink couldn't help himself. Error signs filled the other's eyes. Ink tried not to panic.

"I-I want it to be one!" The artist quickly amended. It was still a few seconds before Error returned to normal.

"R-really?" Error asked. Ink blushed and nodded.

"Y-yeah… I kind of blurted it out yesterday, didn't I?" He asked. That got a laugh out of his companion.

"You kind of did."

"Let me put this up and then we can go." Ink chirped happily.

* * *

 **A/N:** A bit short, but I had to basically split this chapter to start on the next one or else it was going to be too long for my tastes. So, good news, the next chapter is already in progress. :) I also actually edited this chapter. Two wins for the day.


	7. I Really Like You

After a bit of awkwardness of the very impromptu way of beginning a first date that they both had, ironically, prepared and dressed for, they settled back into the comfortable conversation that they were used to when they were together. Between them was an unseen, electric excitement that seemed to buzz between the two of them as they walked to the subway station.

Ink wanted to reach out, hold Error's hand, but he restrained himself. He knew Error wasn't the best about touching, though Chara seemed to think it was mostly fine if he were to touch Error. He also didn't know if Error would… want to. What if he wasn't the kind of guy that liked PDA? Ink spaced out as they rode the subway.

Ink was startled out of his own mind as Error stretched his arm behind him, letting it settle on his shoulders. He looked to the other skeleton, but Error was looking away, a slight dusting of blue on his face. Ink smiled and leaned into him. They sat that way for the rest of their ride.

It had only been a week since they had met…

Because of those stupid cockroaches.

"Seen anymore creepy crawlies?" Ink asked, twisting slightly so that he could look at Error properly. He felt Error adjust his arm, but he didn't take it away completely.

"Not yet. I'll see one every now and then. Just promise not to come and try and save them again." Error grimaced.

"Why not? Isn't all life precious?" Ink laughed slightly.

"You were ready to kill them too! You just chickened out." Error huffed.

"You got impatient and killed them yourself." Ink pouted and crossed his arms.

"If I would have waited any longer, Gyftmas would've come and gone." Error chided. He looked up. "This is our stop."

He stood, holding onto one of the straps hanging from the railing and held out a hand, helping Ink up. Ink clung to his hand and didn't let go once he was standing. Error fidgeted at first, but let their hands drop together.

They left the train and headed up the stairs before Ink thought to ask where they were going.

"Where are we?" He asked. It was hard to keep up with Error while they exited the station because of the amount of people and monsters that were still going back and forth. It was Saturday in a big city, but Ink had thought that it would at least have slowed down a bit.

"This is Waterfall Village. It's a pretty cool part of the city. You'll see what I mean soon." Error gripped his hand almost to the point that it hurt, but he was trying not to lose Ink in the crowd.

When they were out of the stairwell, Error's grip relaxed but he kept holding Ink's hand. For once, it was a continuous touch he didn't mind. There was an urge to pull away, but this time it was easy to fight down. With Ink, it was getting easier.

The streets were also busy, but at least above ground Ink could breathe. They walked side by side, close enough that their shoulders brushed with every step. Ink almost forgot that he was supposed to be collecting sketches of his date, not romancing him the entire night. Almost.

"This way." Error said, gently pulling him into an open parking lot.

Food trucks littered the parking lot and people were milling around. Normal smells of urban fast food were mingled with more exotic flavors such as saffron and fennel. Ink sniffed the air, trying to take it all in. He couldn't pinpoint any specific piece of food, but he could tell that anything he might ever want was being served.

"What's this?" He asked, looking up at Error.

"Dinner." Error answered. He looked down and saw the confusion on Ink's face. "This isn't a spot I had in mind for your sketches. But…" He paused. "It can't exactly be a date without dinner, right?"

Ink smiled and nodded.

"I guess… But most people want to dine at an actual restaurant. Not outdoor… trucks." He teased. Error stiffened, then relaxed when he realized Ink was joking.

"If you want, there's a good dumpster outside an Italian place around here. We can go eat out of that." He suggested. Ink wrinkled his nose.

"No thanks. Unless we were romantically eating spaghetti together."

"We're not dogs and this isn't a movie."

"Fair."

Error pulled him in the crowd, keeping him close as they walked the line of trucks.

"See anything you want?" He asked.

Ink considered each truck that they passed. There was Italian, though Error had ruined his appetite for the cuisine, Mexican, French, Mediterranean, Asian Fusion, Korean barbeque, and…

"Hotdogs." Ink said decisively.

"You want… a hotdog?" Error asked, deadpan. Ink blinked up at him.

"What? What's wrong with hotdogs?" He frowned. Error just shook his head and laughed.

"Nothing… You're unpredictable, you know?" Error moved so that they were in line.

"What does that mean?" The artist asked.

"Means I never know what you're going to say. It's good. I don't usually get surprised by people." Error shrugged. "I thought you might choose something peculiar. But you picked a hotdog. Something you can get on any street corner here."

Ink blushed, taking it as a compliment. Error gently squeezed his hand.

"What do you want? My treat." Error smiled slightly down at him. Ink perked up at the sight.

"A brat!"

* * *

After eating a thick bratwurst and Error having to clean mustard off of his face, Ink demanded ice cream as the finishing touch. He wasn't surprised when Error chose chocolate soft serve, but he was surprised when he asked for sprinkles on top.

"So, you ARE a twelve-year-old!" Ink gasped.

"Because I got sprinkles? You got sprinkles, chocolate chips, and gummy bears. I guess that makes you five." Error teased before sticking out his…

"Tongues!" Ink cried as Error licked the side of his cone, catching some melting ice cream before it landed on his hand.

"Ah, shit." Error frowned, pulling back from his cone. "You saw them."

"Were you hiding them?" Ink had to resist the urge to lean in and inspect his date's multiple blue tongues.

"It's not exactly something I like having." Error grimaced. He had let his guard down for one second. Now Ink was going to think he was gross. What kind of monster had multiple tongues?

"It's cool." Ink smiled, but that only made Error frown.

"You're just saying that." He huffed.

Now Ink frowned.

"I am not!" Ink grumbled. "From the moment I saw you, I thought you were the most interesting-looking creature I had ever seen. I was so…" He tried to find the right word. "Amazed. I like everything about the way you look, Error. Even those tongues. It just makes you more… cool."

Error let a small smile creep onto his face.

"Again, you surprise me." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his skull. "I guess I shouldn't be at this point." He sighed.

"Thanks, Ink."

"Now lean against that railing so I can draw you while you eat."

* * *

After Ink had finished his preliminary sketch that he had titled in his head "Cool Dude Eats Ice Cream", and after Error had gotten him another cone because he had forgotten his while he had been drawing, they connected hands once more and Error led him to their next destination.

"Why is this place called Waterfall Village? I haven't seen one waterfall." Ink looked around. There seemed to be more people on the streets than there had been when they left the subway station.

"That's our last stop." Error shrugged. He wasn't going to ruin the surprise that was waiting for Ink at the park.

Ink grumbled something under his breath. He enjoyed surprises, but this felt more like waiting. And he wasn't very patient.

They stopped outside of a tall skyscraper. It looked like it hosted business firms. Ink frowned.

"What's this? It looks boring." He shifted slightly. This wasn't really a good place to draw. Error wasn't an artist, so perhaps that was to blame.

"It's the Mettaton State Building." Error was going to continue when Ink cut him off.

"The same guy in The Legend of Mettaton?" His eyes were changing rapidly. Nothing was really adding up.

"…" Error was silent for a moment. "You've lived near the city your whole life, right?"

"Yeah?" Ink didn't see his point.

"Mettaton is basically the patron saint of New Home City. He has his hands in everything. The video game was produced by him, so he inserted himself into the game. He runs this tower." Error explained, gently leading Ink into the building.

"So… you brought me here because I kind of enjoyed that video game?" Ink liked that Error thought of him, but he still didn't really want to be there. He looked around the lobby. There were pictures of the robot on as many surfaces as they could be without coming off as tacky. Ink did have to admit, the character in the game really did look like him.

"No…" Error grumbled. "Just be patient for like, five minutes." He led the artist to an elevator.

"Why is this place open past business hours? And where are we going?" Ink was getting fidgety. "And how come we can just walk in here and use the elevators?"

"You missed the sign…" Error sighed as they entered the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor.

"What sign?" Ink blinked. Error looked at him and laughed.

"Your eyes…" Error laughed again.

"What? I know they switch. Didn't you notice them before?" Ink tilted his head.

"Of course! But they've been stuck on a heart and a little purple diamond since we came in." Error laughed again.

"Wha?" Ink blinked rapidly, feeling them change. Error laughed again. "What now?!"

"They didn't change because you were so distracted… Or, I guess that's why. Is it really that irritating to you to not know why we're here?"

"A bit…" Ink grumbled into his scarf. "How long is this elevator ride?"

"Look at the buttons."

Ink turned his attention to the buttons on the wall, the light shining behind the floors that they passed.

"That's a lot of floors." He smiled nervously.

"Yep."

"We're going all the way up?"

"Yep."

Ink fell into silence, shifting on his feet again. He couldn't think of any reason to go to the top floor of a business building.

Finally, the elevator reached its destination and the doors opened. Ink gasped. The top floor was circular with no walls, only giant windows facing the outside. The only break in them was the row of elevators. There were people milling about, looking through the windows at the city below.

Ink's eyes turned to stars and Error blushed on cue.

"This is amazing, Error!" Ink cried happily. He tugged on the other's hand, dragging him over to one of the giant windows. He put his hands on the glass, leaning in. "The view is so beautiful." He whispered.

"Yeah, I know." Error smiled, watching Ink. He shoved his hands in his pockets, a bit glad for the break in touching. "Don't look down."

Ink did the opposite of what he had been told and immediately looked down.

"Ah!" He cried and jumped back as Error laughed.

"I told you not to, doofus." Error laughed again.

"Okay, I get it, I should trust you." Ink crossed his arms. "This isn't really good for drawing though…"

"You can enjoy it despite that, right?" Error leaned against the railing. Ink smiled and nodded.

"I almost forgot this was supposed to double as a date." He said cheerily, not missing the blue that spread over Error's cheekbones. He decided to press his luck. "It's pretty romantic up here. Was that part of your plan to get me to fall for you? Take me up here and woo me?"

Error looked away, his face about as heated as it could get.

"N-no… Not exactly… I thought you might like it because of the view… I didn't know it was a bad drawing spot…" He shifted uneasily. Ink laughed.

"I DO like it." Ink said and grabbed Error's arm and pulled him away from the rail, dragging him into a lap around the room. They walked in a comfortable silence before Ink piped up again.

"So, where's the waterfall?"

"The waterfall?" Error paused, then laughed. "This isn't the last place we're going."

* * *

After getting their fair share of the observation deck, Error had led them out of the building and towards the Waterfall Village Park, the biggest park in the entire country. Not only was it lively during the day, but it was a boon for musicians and performers at night. Not to mention the echo flowers.

He enjoyed having Ink cling to his arm. Chara used to do the same thing, but it hadn't felt like this. He mostly felt annoyed when she did it. He didn't mind Ink hanging on him at any opportunity. With Ink, it was comfortable. He didn't feel anxious. At least, he hadn't yet. And that was more than he could have hoped for.

"A park?" Ink asked as they came up to the entrance.

"Benches and shit. That's good for drawing, right?" Error asked, trying to hide his excitement. Ink wouldn't see the true fun that was available until they were inside.

"You're right. But after the Mettaton Building, I'm a little disappointed." Ink sighed sadly.

"Just come on. Next time you can plan the date." Error huffed.

"Oh? You're assuming there's going to be a second one?" Ink's fingers tightened on Error's arm. He was expecting to see those error signs fill his date's eyes, but surprisingly Error just laughed.

"If you ask me nicely." Error teased, still pulling Ink along. It was Ink's turn to be embarrassed. He laughed awkwardly.

"I-I'll think about it." He said. Error was putting the ball in his court. He really wanted to ask Error right then for a second date, but something was holding him back. He decided he just needed to see how the date ended.

Error pulled him along a path and after what seemed like decades of walking, a distant sound beginning to pick up.

"Music?" Ink asked, looking around for the source.

"Not so boring now, huh?" Error asked as they rounded a corner.

Before them was an open area with a large fountain in the middle surrounded by benches and vegetation. People were loitering around, sitting on almost any surface that wasn't a bench. A mixture of monsters and humans were standing near the fountain, playing music. People were throwing coins into a hat and moving into a small crowd that was dancing in front of them.

"Ooh." Ink whispered as he looked at the crowd. He wondered if he could get Error to dance with him, but he needed to sketch him before they did anything. "Error, go lean again the fountain!" He commanded, pointing the exact spot he wanted him.

Error complied easily, trotting over to the fountain and leaned against it.

"Like this?" He called.

"Put your leg out a little… Yeah, perfect!" Ink chirped and pulled out his sketchbook.

He lost himself in the sketch, almost forgetting that he was in public. All that mattered was Error, and the fountain behind him. He just needed to get the major details down. He would have to finish it another day, but he still wanted to get enough details that he would remember how everything was. He looked up, studying a particular detail on the fountain when he noticed a brightly dressed skeleton just on the other side, his head swerving slightly to look between him and Error. He was wearing sunglasses, at night, that read 'YOLO' in bright, neon colors. When he saw that Ink was looking at him, he gave him a grin, one golden tooth glinting in a street lamp, and gave him finger guns before walking away.

"Ink?" Error asked, noticing that Ink had become distracted.

The artist blinked and looked back to him.

"Sorry, I saw something weird." He said and looked back to his sketch. Without realizing it, he had furthered the sketch more than he had wanted to. He smiled. "I'm done, anyway!" He began tucking his things back into his bag.

Error walked back to him.

"You're done?" He asked.

"As done as I want to be for now." Ink nodded to himself. "Can we listen to the band?" He asked, a plan beginning to take shape.

"Sure." Error shrugged and offered his arm to Ink, who gratefully accepted. Ink thought they were starting to act like a real couple.

They went to the crowd and stood on the fringe, watching the other happy couples and drunken teenagers dancing. Ink began to sway slightly with the music, trying to tease Error into moving with him. But the grad student remained immobile, not quite getting the hint. Ink frowned, thinking.

The band picked a quick tune, changing the tempo and mood of the crowd. Ink took his chance.

"C'mon!" He cried, pulling Error into the fray. He let go of him and began moving to the beat. "Error, you gotta dance with me!"

"I don't 'gotta' do anything." Error growled, clearly out of his element. Ink just laughed and grabbed his hands, forcing him to move. Error was stiff and fighting him with every move.

"Error… please." Ink begged. "Why don't you want to dance?"

"I look stupid dancing." Error didn't budge.

"Don't focus on you, focus on me, then. Please? It'll make me happy." Ink fluttered his eyes, though the effect wasn't quite the same as it would have been as someone who had eyelashes. Error still blushed.

He began moving with Ink, trying not to focus too much on himself. After a few measures, he was able to relax more. Ink took the lead, spinning them around. He looked so happy that Error smiled along with him, even laughing. Dancing was still foreign to him, but it wasn't so bad when he was doing it with Ink. Soon enough, all he could focus on was Ink. The rest of the world faded away, and he was grinning brightly for the first time in a long time.

Error's grin took Ink by surprise, but it melted his heart. He had never seen Error look so happy. He hadn't even been sure if Error _could_ feelthat happy. But now he was seeing it, and it was directed at him. He grinned in return.

The song ended too quickly, and that was Error's sign to stop dancing. His grin was still in place, and Ink nearly swooned. That grin, with those glasses, aimed at him. It was enough to make anyone faint. Ink wasn't quite that dramatic though.

"Do you want to see the waterfall?" Error asked, stretching out his hand to Ink.

The artist grinned and nodded.

"Yeah!"

* * *

Ink stilled when he caught sight of the waterfall. It was obviously manmade just for the park, and while it was gorgeous, the rest of the scenery is what really shocked him. Surrounding the waterfall and small pond beneath it were blue flowers. They glowed in the dark and provided enough light that no lamps were needed. People, mostly couples, sat amongst the flowers, speaking quietly to one another. It was almost like a sacred contract that no one talk loudly enough to disturb anyone else. It was a quiet haven in the middle of a bustling city.

"It's beautiful." Ink whispered. Error smiled at him gently.

"Come on." He said quietly and led Ink to a small patch that was unoccupied. They sat down, the flowers hovering just above their heads. The flowers created an even more intimate environment, as if they were encasing the couple.

"These are echo flowers." Error explained. "They repeat what you say to them."

He pulled one of the flowers towards him and whispered into it, then handed it to Ink. Ink turned his head into the petals, trying to listen.

 _You look really nice tonight._ The flower whispered to him. Ink laughed softly and told the flower his secret, passing it to Error when he was done.

 _Thanks. You do too. I really, really like you in your glasses._

They started playing a game of passing the flower back and forth, whispering to each other.

 _You look cute when you draw._

 _I really thought you were going to murder someone when we met._

 _If cockroaches count, then I'm a mass murderer._

 _I moved out here to get away from my ex. Is that bad?_

 _No. I did the same thing._

 _Will you go on a second date with me?_

 _Just tell me when._

 _It won't be as good as this._

 _If I'm with you, it'll be perfect._

When they had tired of their game and when Ink began yawning, they decided to go home. Neither truly wanted to, but it was late, even for young adults. They were quiet most of the ride home, but they were always touching. They held hands on the subway, Ink leaning his head onto Error's shoulder.

Anxiety… or rather, anticipation, began building in Ink's chest cavity as they walked to their apartment building. They would get to their doors and then…

They would part ways.

But Ink was hoping for that perfect ending to a perfect night.

He clung to Error's arm, his anxiety rising. He felt like he was going to throw up. Error let them into the building, and they started up the stairs. He needed something to distract himself from his racing soul.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked.

"You want to go on the date tomorrow?" Error looked at him curiously.

"N-no! I still have to plan it. I was just curious." Ink laughed nervously.

"I usually work on homework on Sundays." Error shrugged. "Not very exciting."

"I-I see…" Ink nodded to himself.

They were quiet until they reached Ink's door. He reluctantly dropped his hand from Error's arm. He smiled.

"Thanks for tonight, Error. I had a lot of fun." He couldn't help the sadness that tinged his voice. He didn't want the night to end. He felt silly, like he was back in high school. He looked up at his date, his eyes flashing into heart.

Error paused, looking into Ink's eyes. He blushed, watching the hearts appear. They stayed, and it unnerved Error. He was grateful, but he hadn't expected that _he,_ of all people, who get that kind of reaction out of Ink. He was the weirdest skeleton monster out there. (Fresh was a close second.) And Ink? He was wonderful. Beautiful, talented, and personable. He didn't feel like he deserved Ink's affection. But he had it.

"I-I did too, Ink." He smiled awkwardly. He looked into Ink's eyelights again. He was going to do it. He was going to go for the goodnight kiss. He steeled himself and began to lean in.

Ink quickly raised his head to meet him, their mouths pressing together. A few seconds ticked by, neither wanting the kiss to end. Error was the first to move. He began to pull back, but Ink wrapped his arms around Error's neck, pulling him in for a second round.

This time, the kiss electrified them. Ink opened his mouth, initiating a deeper kiss. Error was slower to respond, embarrassed again by his tongues, but Ink was needy and pressed into him, begging for more. Finally, Error slid his tongues into Ink's mouth. Ink shuddered at the new feeling, and before Error could pull away, mistaking his pleasure for disgust, Ink grunted in approval.

Ink had no idea how long they stayed like that. Error pressed him against door, arms bracing himself on either side of the artist's head. He was closed in, completely surrounded by Error. But all good things come to an end and they separated, both panting though they had no need to breathe.

They stared at each other, cheeks hot. Error grinned for the second time that night and Ink felt like he was going to really throw up now. He wanted to go in for another kiss, but the look Error was giving him told him their kissing was over for the night.

"Goodnight, Ink." Error whispered, leaning in and kissing him on the forehead before completely pulling away.

"Goodnight, Error." Ink whispered breathlessly, watching as his neighbor walked to his door.

Error was still wearing that dopey smile as he waved to Ink and opened his door and slipped inside.

Ink finally let himself into his apartment, falling face first onto his bed.

He liked Error. He liked him a lot.


	8. Becoming Official

Error awoke the next morning to incessant knocking on his door.

His first instinct was to completely ignore it, turn over, and go back to sleep. His second instinct was to fly to the door because it might have been Ink. But then he heard it.

The distinctive staccato rhythm to the theme song to The Fresh Prince of Hotland.

His eyes shot open, a scowl already on his face. There were a few things he didn't want to deal with in the morning, and at the top of that list was what was on the other side of that door. But the knocking continued, and he knew for a fact that if he didn't answer it soon the monster would enter anyway.

He pulled himself out of bed, slipped on his old pair of black slippers, and went to the door. He unlocked it and opened it a crack, squinting through.

"What the heck do you want?" He growled.

"Das not any way ta greet ya little bro."

"How did you get in the building?"

"I have ma ways. Ya gonna lemme in?"

"No. What do you want?"

"I came ta talk ta ya 'bout that guy ya were with last night."

That stopped Error. This abomination had seen him out with Ink the night before? He was going to have to let him in. Otherwise he'd tell Geno. And then Geno would come over too. He sighed dramatically.

"Okay, fine." He grumbled and opened the door, making way for the 90s trash he called his brother.

Fresh walked into his apartment, looking around.

"Wow. Ya place is just as clean as ya room back home." He grinned at his older brother.

Error grumbled something under his breath and closed the door.

"Just sit down. What do you really want?" He asked. Fresh sat on the couch and Error made it a point to sit on the bed, away from him.

"I'm just interested in ma big bro's life." Fresh shrugged. He leaned his skateboard against the coffee table and Error flinched.

"Sorry, brah. Forgot ya don't like dirty things touchin' tha furniture." Fresh laughed and set the skateboard on the floor.

"What do you want to know?" Error asked, sighing. He was already tired of this conversation.

"Who was dat?" Fresh tilted his head. His glasses always unnerved Error. The text on them would sometimes change, depending on Fresh's mood. Error knew that monster magic was specific to the monster, but he never expected it to manifest for his brother in the form of text-changing sunglasses.

"Who was what?" Error asked, crossing his arms. From the light in the room it was around noon, but he still felt tired. He _had_ been up late the night before.

"Dat guy drawin' ya at the park." Fresh kept his grin stable. It was rare to catch him not smiling.

"…" Error frowned. So, Fresh had seen him and Ink. "That was Ink, my neighbor."

"Neighbor? Here?" Fresh gestured to the floor. Error nodded. "You made a new friend. I'm happy for ya, broski."

"Thanks… Fresh."

"He's not just a friend though, ya?" Fresh tilted his head again. Error growled slightly.

"That was our first date." He looked away, embarrassed.

"Dat's cool." Fresh nodded.

"Couldn't you have just called me instead of coming all the way here?" Error huffed.

"Ya wouldn't answer if I tried ta." His brother shrugged.

"Is that all you wanted?"

"Nah. Geno misses ya. Ya should have him come over sometime. He could use someone ta talk to. He's got a lot of problems at work."

"Problems? Like what?" Error was curious.

"One of dem higher ups is always on his back. Den, he's got some guy from tha morgue that won't leave 'im alone. He ain't got many friends here, an' ya don't try to see 'im."

Error sighed, for once feeling bad about not spending much time with Geno. Geno was the one who had helped him most through his haphephobia. He knew he would be thrilled to learn that Error had met someone he could stand to touch. He made his mind up to call him later.

"Alright… I'll call him. I guess it's not easy being a resident doctor." Error rubbed the side of his skull.

"Nah, it ain't easy at all!" Fresh hopped up and grabbed his skateboard. "Dat's all I wanted to say. If ya get serious with ya neighbor, ya should let us meet 'im."

"Yeah, yeah, maybe when heck freezes over." Error grumbled and stood, going to the door and opening it for his brother.

"Bye broski!" Fresh gave him a slight wave. "Love ya!"

"Yeah." Error grumbled and shut the door. He sighed. He hadn't realized Geno was having such a hard time in the city. He should have been in contact more with him. Fresh always just showed up, so he didn't have to worry about seeing him. Geno was more reserved. He didn't want to "bother" Error. So, he stayed silent.

There was knocking at the door, once again to the tune of The Fresh Prince of Hotland.

"What?!" Error gasped, exasperated, as he opened the door.

Fresh grinned down at him.

"Ya gotta say it back."

"Say what?"

"Ya gotta say ya love me when I say it to ya."

"No."

"Ya gotta. Those are tha orders."

"Heck no." Error frowned at his forced censor. Another quirk of Fresh's magic.

"I'm not gonna leave till ya say it back." Fresh continued to grin.

Error groaned and finally relented.

"Love you."

"Love ya too, Error." Fresh gently patted his shoulder, watching Error blush. It had been years since they had finally got on good terms, but Error still had to be prompted to talk like a normal sibling to him. He was glad, though.

Fresh turned and headed for the stairs. He heard the door slam behind him. He spotted the artist he had seen the night before watching them from the garbage chute. He grinned and gave him another pair of finger guns, but didn't stop to talk to him. He'd respect Error's wish of waiting to be introduced and not forcing himself onto the guy. But he seemed rad enough.

* * *

"Blue, it was so great!" Ink sighed into the phone. He had just got back from taking out the trash and seeing that weird guy again, only this time he came out of Error's apartment and forced Error to say, 'I love you.' But he promptly forgot all of that when he saw he had a missed call from his friend.

"Did you get a lot of good drawings?" Blue asked, oblivious to the fact that the outing the night before had turned into something more.

"Yeah! But more importantly, he took me to all the romantic spots in Waterfall…" Ink gently cupped one of his cheeks as he reminisced.

"Did he take you to the park?"

"Yes! It was so beautiful, Blue! We whispered back and forth through the flowers…"

"It sounds like he likes you." Blue grinned through the phone.

"I hope so! He kissed me at the end of night… And we're going on a second date!" Ink sighed into the phone.

"Second date? So yesterday really was a date?!"

"Oh, yeah! It turned into one when he picked me up and gave me a rose." Ink smiled happily. He looked to his windowsill where the rose lay. He was hoping it would dry out so he could keep it.

"He's romantic, then." Blue laughed. "I want to meet him. Dream got to meet him… I guess that wasn't planned though."

Ink laughed as well.

"If we start dating, you'll definitely meet him. I want him to be close to both of you!" Ink hummed softly. Surely the awkwardness between him and Dream would end soon, and then they could go back to being best friends.

"That's great! If you like him, I'm sure he's a great guy!"

"Of course!" Ink chirped. "But that reminds me… I need your help."

"I'm all ears."

"I'm in charge of the second date. But I don't know what to do. I can't compete with last night!"

"Calm down. If he likes you, he probably doesn't care as long as you put thought into it! What do you think he'd like to do?"

Ink thought for a moment.

"I have no idea. He's kind of a homebody. He just goes to school and comes home. Friday, he had Cross over, but I'm not entirely sure that was his idea…" Ink frowned.

"Oh! I know! Why don't you cook for him? You don't have to go anywhere, and they always say the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach!"

"Sounds good! There's only one problem."

"Yeah?"

"I can't cook."

"It's time you learned! I, the magnificent Blue, shall teach you! I'll come over Tuesday night and teach you how to cook a romantic dinner for two! It'll be great!" Blue began to laugh his signature cackle of 'mweh heh heh heh.'

Ink grinned.

"Great! I have to go tell Error that our next date is a home cooked meal!" He bounced up from his bed. Then he paused. "Blue, do you think I'd seem too eager if I went over to his place today? I've kind of… been there every day this week. Do you think it's okay?"

Blue laughed.

"It'd be weird if you didn't go over at this point!"

"Thanks, Blue! I gotta go now." Ink smiled into the phone.

"Okay, take care!"

Ink slipped the phone into his pocket. Yes, he was going to go straight over to Error's place and tell him their second date was on. He started to head for the door and paused again.

But who was that guy? What if Error was in some kind of relationship with him? He did say that he loved him, even though it seemed a bit forced. Ink shook his head. Error didn't seem like the kind of guy to date two people at once. He didn't seem like the kind of monster who had the patience for it, if Ink was being honest. With a nod, he charged out his door and the few feet to Error's door and knocked.

"Stars, what is it now?" He heard Error grumble from behind the door. Ink worried for a split second that maybe he shouldn't have come. But then Error opened the door and his soul was fluttering in his ribcage.

Error's frown softened when he saw who it was.

"Oh, hey Ink." He said, and Ink beamed up at him. The artist thought about kissing him the night before and he almost melted onto the floor. He wanted Error to do it again. To just lean down and…

"Ink?" Error looked concerned. Ink blinked and mentally slapped himself. He had gotten lost in his daydream.

"Sorry! I came to tell you that I have the perfect second date planned. What are you doing Friday?" He asked as he watched Error's entire visage soften into a very, very, small smile.

"For you? I'm free." Error smirked slightly and leaned against the doorframe.

"Perfect!" Ink grinned and nodded to himself.

"What are we going to do?" Error asked.

"It's a surprise!" Ink assured quickly. "Just come to my place at seven."

"Alright. It's a date." Error smiled.

"Great!" Ink grinned. He lingered at the door, shifting slightly.

"You want to come in, don't you?" Error asked. Ink smiled sheepishly.

"If I could?"

Error sighed dramatically.

"I guess. I'm catching up on my stories." Error shrugged.

"Stories?" Ink asked. Error laughed and shook his head.

"Just come in. It's time you knew my dirtiest, darkest secret."

Ink blinked and walked into the small studio. The apartment was immaculate as always, though it looked like Error had made himself popcorn and was watching something on his tv. The door shut behind him.

"What's your dirtiest secret?" Ink asked as he sat down. Error sighed.

"You're very impatient." The taller skeleton down next to him, instinctively putting his arm around Ink's shoulders. Ink could have fainted.

"I am!" Ink huffed.

Error pressed play on the remote and his show started. Ink blinked at the screen, then let out a small laugh.

"Under…novela?" Ink asked, trying to contain his laughter. He wouldn't have thought Error would be one to watch a telenovela.

"Yep… Been watching it since I was a kid. I can't help it. I'm hooked!" Error laughed with him. "I told you, it's my deepest, dirtiest secret."

Ink laughed again.

"You're surprising, you know that?" Ink smiled. He wanted to lean into Error… No, he wanted to curl into him.

"I'm not really, but thanks, I guess?" Error shrugged and looked to the screen.

They sat in silence for a while as they watched the drama unfolding on screen. Finally, Ink asked his burning question.

"Who was that guy that was here today?"

Error twitched. He paused the tv.

"What did he look like?" He asked.

"There was more than one person here today?" Ink blinked.

"No… I guess you caught me. That my brother."

Ink blinked rapidly, his eye lights changing as quickly as they could.

"Your brother? That was your brother?" He gasped.

"Yeah… Wish it wasn't, but what can you do?" Error huffed.

"He's… He's a giant!" Ink balked.

"Yeah… he's pretty tall." Error laughed slightly. "Wait till you see his eyebrows."

"That's so cool! I always wanted siblings!" Ink said excitedly.

"Yeah? You can have him. I have another one so please, take Fresh."

"You have another brother?" Ink was getting more and more excited by the second.

"Yeah… He's the oldest. Geno. He's working at one of the local hospitals for his residency. I came to school here first, then Geno got his placement here. Fresh just kind of… followed us." Error sighed, once again feeling guilty that he hadn't yet called his older brother.

"Awww." Ink cooed. "You're the middle child. Poor thing." He teased.

Error 'hmph'd.

"I turned out just fine."

"I guess so… Is Geno as tall as Fresh?"

"You're really obsessed with that, aren't you? No, he's about my height."

"Still taller than me…" Ink sighed sadly before reaching into Error's bowl and plucking out a piece of popcorn. "It's a little burnt."

"Then don't eat it." Error huffed as Ink laughed.

"Error?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I… Can I sit in your lap?" He asked with a blush.

Error was quiet for a moment.

"That must be really embarrassing for you to ask." Error teased. Ink pouted.

"Can I or not?" He frowned.

"Hm, let me think…" Error looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, come over here."

Ink grinned happily and moved onto his neighbor's lap, settling into a comfy position.

"Perfect…" He sighed happily.

"If my legs fall asleep, you gotta go." Error teased.

"No!" Ink whined.

* * *

Their tv watching quickly evolved into a full blown make out session. Ink took the blame, since he had instigated it by not only sitting on Error, but he also might have tugged on Error's collar until he got what he wanted. And every time Error even thought about separating, he brought him back in. He ended up being pinned to the couch with Error hovering over him from his position between the artist's legs. But Ink didn't mind. In fact, he relished in it.

"Ink…" Error whispered softly as he pulled away an inch, looking into Ink's changing eyes.

"Yeah?" Ink breathlessly.

"What do you want?" Error asked, his stare intense. Ink flushed.

"I…I don't…" Ink began to stutter. He hadn't really been thinking when he instigated their frantic kissing. He didn't know if was ready to take it to the next level… Error laughed softly.

"Not that." Error smiled at him. "Let me tell you what I want, first."

Ink swallowed, soul hammering. He was nervous. What did Error really want?

"Ink, I really like you. I've never… liked someone in the way that I do with you. I'm going to be honest, Ink." Error paused. "I want to be your boyfriend."

Ink felt his soul jump into his throat. He was stunned and his mind went blank. He blinked rapidly.

"I… I…" He began to stutter, not sure how to respond to Error's gentle words.

"You don't have to answer…" Error said, a bit awkwardly. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so forward. They really had only just had their first date. But it felt like they had been together for so much longer. Ink was at his place constantly. They had shared more intimate moments than not.

"I-I…" Ink continued. "I…Iwantobeyourboyfriendtoo!" He spat out, trying to get the words out before his anxiety could swallow them.

Error blinked down at him.

"What?" Ink asked. "You said it first!"

Error began to laugh.

"What's so funny?!" Ink cried, gently gripping the front of Error's shirt.

"N-nothing…" Error swallowed his laughter. "I'm just… really happy."

Error bent down and gave Ink a gentle peck.

"You look so cute… _my boyfriend…_ " Error smiled at him. Ink's entire face lit up in a rainbow.

"Stop… you're embarrassing me…" Ink squirmed slightly. "I can't believe my boyfriend is so sappy…"

Error let out another laugh and kissed Ink once more.

* * *

 **A/N:** Writing Fresh's dialogue was weird, but fun! I hope you liked his true entrance into the story!


	9. Blackbird

When Blue opened the front door of his and Papyrus's apartment late Sunday night, he wasn't expecting Dream, and he certainly wasn't expecting him in the state he was in.

It looked like Dream had been crying. Not just for hours, but for days. Blue quickly ushered him inside and went to make him a warm cup of tea before Dream could even explain himself. When he turned around to put the warm mug in front of his friend, Dream was crying again, staring down at his phone.

"Okay," Blue paused, watching the other skeleton from across the kitchen table. "What's wrong?"

"He's in a relationship!" Dream choked out, finally looking up at Blue. "It's UnderNet official!" He pointed to his phone.

Blue blinked.

"Who? What?"

"Ink!" Dream cried out. "He changed his relationship status on UnderNet! It has to be with Error!"

"…" Blue frowned, trying to think quickly. He hadn't checked UnderNet all day. And from his previous stalking, this Error fellow didn't have a profile. Yet, there was no one else Ink would be in a relationship with, and he wasn't the kind of person to change his status for a joke. He had to tread carefully with Dream. He didn't want to exasperate the situation.

"Dream…" He started, gently touching his friend's shoulder. "I know this is hard for you but-"

"But I'm the one who ended it." The yellow-eyed skeleton spat, frowning into his untouched mug of tea. Blue had even put it in his favorite one; the one shaped like a dog.

"Not what I was going to say. That's true, you did break up with him, but Ink deserves to be happy just as much as you do." Blue tried to smile but Dream just wilted again.

"I really made him that miserable, huh?" Dream looked down sadly at his tea once more.

"You didn't!" Blue snapped, nearly standing up. Dream blinked at him. "Dream, you keep putting yourself down about the break up, like it was your fault or something. Sometimes, relationships don't work out. And that's okay! But you have to let him move on."

Two giant alligator tears ran down Dream's cheeks.

"I just… the way he was looking at him… He never looked at me like that…" Finally, Dream took a timid sip from his mug. He seemed to soften when he saw the dog's face.

"Ink told you he only loved you as a friend. The way he looks at Error is different from you because of that. I know you know that, but I think you're having a hard time coming to terms with it now that it's in front of you." Blue continued.

Dream nodded pitifully, now taking a gulp of his drink.

"It was… hard to watch." He admitted. "I just wish…"

"You wish you hadn't broken up? You were miserable, Dream. You haven't been yourself in a very long time."

"I know… I held on for too long. Ink was never going to do it, so I finally did. But it's so hard to get over it… I miss him… I still want to be in his life, but… it was so hard Friday… I don't know if I can." Dream shrank into himself.

"You can distance yourself for as long as you need to. You're still a good friend, but you need to focus on yourself for now." Blue gently rubbed his arm. He decided it was time to change the subject and help his friend forget about his melancholy for the moment. "Speaking of, how is it going with Cross?"

He watched in delight as a golden blush began to creep over his friend's cheekbones.

"I-I… I don't know? We've been texting… Kind of…" Dream shrugged slightly.

"Kind of?"

"He just… He keeps sending me silly memes. I… I don't think he really knows how to flirt." Dream laughed. Blue relaxed a bit as the momentary bomb of a crisis had been diffused.

"Do you laugh at them though?" He asked.

"Every single time." Dream let out another small laugh. He opened his phone and pulled up one of the pictures that Cross had sent him. He held it out to Blue.

"Is that… a frog on a unicycle?" Blue asked.

"Yeah… I don't understand it, really, but it was silly enough to make me laugh."

Blue smiled at him.

"Would you kiss him again?" He asked slyly. Dream turned golden.

"I… I didn't really… kiss him…" He looked away shyly.

"Okay… Would you kiss him?"

"Blue!" Dream squealed, burying his face in his hands. "I… I don't know!"

Blue laughed.

"You have time to figure out! When are you going to see him again?"

"I… We're going to get lunch together on campus sometime this week… It's not really a date."

"It's kind of a date. Just not official!" Blue laughed.

"Since you're so busy grilling me… Answer something for me." Dream smiled.

"I'm an open book!"

"Wasn't that guy that you had a crush on at your school before you moved to our junior high's name was Error?"

"It was." Blue nodded.

"Do you think… that could be him?" Dream tilted his head.

"That would be a really weird coincidence. I don't think it's probable, considering he lived a few states away."

"Have you tried looking for him?"

"No, it doesn't look like he has any social media. I haven't been able to find much about him at all. Not even on a company's staff webpage. He's just been lost." Blue shrugged sadly.

"I know you're still hoping to meet him again. Anything is possible as long as you believe!" Dream cheered.

"Thanks Dream. He probably wouldn't remember me anyway…"

"Don't think like that!" Dream gripped his hands. "You just have to keep thinking about him and he'll come to you. If it's meant to be, you'll meet him again someday."

Blue laughed.

"Thanks, Dream."

* * *

The next day passed in a happy bliss for Ink.

As much as he had just wanted to stay the night with Error (a no-sex night), he had pulled himself out of his boyfriend's arms and returned to his own apartment. There were lines that had to be crossed and he knew he wasn't ready for them, even if it would have been a simple sleepover. He had, however, very much enjoyed Error laying on him after their make out session and falling asleep on his chest. He got to watch Error sleep, looking peaceful for once instead of his usual grumpy. He also may have taken a peek at the guy's phone, only to find a picture of himself, drawing with his tongue peeking out, set as his background. Of course, he teased Error about it when he woke up.

" _What's this picture?" He had asked, holding the phone up._

 _Watching Error's face brighten to an unseen hue was one of the highlights of Ink's life up to this point._

" _I uh… Cross…" Error started to move off of Ink, but the artist quickly wrapped his legs around him, locking him in place for questioning._

" _Cross?" Ink frowned thoughtfully. "Oh, the camera noise." He nodded to himself, remembering back to the other night. "But why is it your background?"_

 _Error looked completely distraught, like a child caught trying to steal a cookie._

" _Uh… B-because…" He squirmed against Ink's legs, trying to break free and put some distance between them so he could have some time to gather his thoughts. But Ink was relentless and wouldn't let go. "Because you look adorable and I wanted to see it every time I look at my phone."_

 _It was Ink's turn to blush and he finally unwrapped his legs and smiled softly down at the other._

" _That's kind of sweet." He admitted and gently kissed Error's forehead._

And then on Monday, they walked to the subway station hand in hand, and Ink was thrilled. And when they parted, Error had kissed him softly on forehead and Ink was in a daze until he got to work, where he had to tell Chara every single detail. His boss squealed in delight and patted him on the back happily.

" _You did it, Ink! You cracked his cold, hard shell!" She cheered._

When he got home, he set his things down and grabbed his sketchbook, going over to Error's. They didn't do much, since Error was working on an important assignment for one of his classes, but just being in the same vicinity as him made Ink happy. He had some time to finish up one of the sketches he had gotten from the other night. Now he had his own little picture of his boyfriend. After Error was done, they ordered Thai and shared a few chaste kisses.

Tuesday started out much of the same, though on the way to the subway, Error told him he wouldn't be home until late that night, since he was going to visit his brother at the hospital.

"Fresh is in the hospital?!" Ink had cried. "Was it the skateboard? It was that skateboard, wasn't it? I'll go with you!"

Error laughed.

"No, no… No one's _in_ the hospital. I'm visiting Geno on his lunch break. He doesn't have much time off, and when it is, it's weird. So, I'm going to him." Error explained.

"Oh. That's good. Next time, phrase it differently." Ink chastised as they arrived at his platform.

Error gently kissed his forehead again and Ink's soul fluttered.

"For you, anything." Error grinned and slipped away into the crowd, leaving Ink a bit dazed.

He tried not to compare Error and Dream, but he couldn't help his mind wandering to the differences between the two. Dream was sweet and generally a happy person. He always tried to see the best in people and was the first person to apologize even if he hadn't been in the wrong. When Ink had finally broached the topic that he couldn't love Dream the way he wanted him to, when he finally couldn't stand seeing Dream so depressed any longer, Dream had apologized immediately.

" _I'm so sorry Ink… I didn't realize I was upsetting you… Can I have some time to think about what you said? Sorry I can't give you a response right away."_

It hurt Ink deep in his soul to watch Dream like that. He owed a lot to Dream. Dream had made him feel welcome when he had first moved to their little suburb. Dream was his friend when no one else had been. He and Blue made him feel like a family. When Dream confessed to him senior year of high school, at their graduation, he agreed to go out with him. He had thought maybe he could learn to like Dream in that way. After all, Dream had done so much for him, he could do this one little thing for Dream, right?

Then it got out of hand. They dated for two years, moved in together, they had even adopted a cat that Ink continually forgot to feed. They shared everything: their thoughts and feelings, their fears, and their bodies. Making love to Dream wasn't _bad_ in any sense of the word. It was exciting at first, but Ink quickly felt that something was right. It was almost always Dream who initiated it, in that sweet little way of his, and Ink never really felt compelled to do more than the bare minimum. He had started to think something was wrong with him, but when he finally put it into a search engine, he was given the term _demisexual._

Demisexual, a person who doesn't feel sexual attraction unless there is a strong emotional connection to the other person.

It made him question everything. If there wasn't a strong emotional connection, did that mean he didn't even like Dream as a person? He decided that no, that didn't mean he didn't like Dream as a person or even as a friend. It just meant that he didn't feel romantically inclined towards his friend. And that devastated him. He distanced himself. He tried to figure things out on his own, to wait till he made that connection, but he couldn't. In the end, he found himself sexually attracted to other people, but not Dream. He figured out that the term didn't apply to him, but it did give him insight into his relationship and the ways he was contributing to Dream's unhappiness.

Dream was the official one to break things off between them. Ink knew it wasn't for Dream's sake that Dream ended it. It was for his. Even when Ink was breaking his heart, Dream remained kind, trying to do what was best for his partner. He didn't think of himself, or about becoming happy and finding someone else. He only thought about Ink's happiness and how he had made Ink feel unhappy for so long.

Ink tried his best to assure Dream that he hadn't been unhappy. Just confused. But he only ended up making things worse. So, he made the decision to save up, find a job in the city, and get as far away as he was comfortable with from Dream. They needed space. Dream needed time without him to heal; and he needed the independence.

Then there was Error.

Even though it had only been a little over a week since they met, he already felt the difference. His heart raced when Error leaned in. His soul shifted frantically when they kissed. He wanted to see Error every single chance he got. He wanted to text him all day, even though Error wasn't the texting type. He wanted to push Error down and experience him. Error made him feel special in a way that Dream hadn't quite been able to. Dream made him feel special, sure, but Error, Error made him feel special out of everyone in the vicinity. Dream would pay extra attention to Ink, but Error paid hardly any attention to anyone else so when he paid attention to _Ink_ it was like the world faded away and it was only the two of them.

Now he realized just how wrong he had been to drag on his and Dream's relationship as long as he did. If Dream had felt this way about him, he couldn't imagine the kind of agony he must have felt when he saw Ink pulling away from him. He tried to imagine Error doing that with him and he felt terrible. He knew Dream forgave him for it… But Ink kind of wished he wouldn't. He didn't deserve it.

"Ink?" Chara asked, leaning forward to get his attention. He blinked rapidly, coming back to attention.

"Yeah?" He asked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his skull.

"It's time to close up. And your friend… Blue? Is waiting for you." She shrugged and left, going back to her work.

Ink blinked again. He forgot he and Blue were going to be practicing cooking tonight. He didn't remember asking Blue to meet him at work, but he must have since Blue knew the address. He hopped up and began to help Chara in the back before moving to their duties up front. He spotted his friend walking around the gallery, looking at the paintings. He was dressed in workout clothes, so he must have just come from training one of his clients.

"Blue!" He called happily, not worrying about his volume since they front door was locked and they weren't expecting anyone else.

"Ink!" Blue turned and grinned at him. Ink went to greet his friend and they shared a quick side hug before separating again. "It's nice to see ya, buddy! We have a lot to catch up on, and not just the Error stuff!"

"I know, I know. We'll be able to talk a lot tonight and you can see my apartment!" Ink chimed happily.

"I heard Error, so I had to come over." Chara inserted herself into the conversation. Ink watched his friend's eyes move to her and linger longer than they probably should have. The artist grinned to himself. Chara was a good foot taller than the other skeleton, and was a bit abrasive, but if there was anyone who could handle her it would be Blue. Plus, Ink already knew she had a thing for monsters of the skeletal variety. He would have to ask his friend about it later.

"I've just been telling him everything about Error. He hasn't even met him yet, but he knows just about everything I do about him." Ink laughed.

"Yep! And tonight, I'm helping him put together the perfect meal that'll knock Error off his feet! Mweh heh heh!" Blue smiled smugly. Ink watched as Chara blinked, smiling a bit shyly as she heard Blue's laugh. Ink was definitely going to work on setting them up together. He'd make a note in his phone so he would remember.

"What are you going to cook?" Chara asked.

"Tacos!" Ink chirped happily. "Blue makes great tacos."

"Tacos?" Chara seemed taken aback.

"Not tacos." Blue added. "We're going to try something fancier. I was thinking roasted chicken, mweh heh heh."

"Roasted chicken is fancy." Chara nodded. "Error really likes potatoes, too. If you get the little ones and cook it with the chicken, he'll love it."

"Do you cook a lot, Chara?" Blue asked, seeming to be awed by her. She smiled and nodded.

"I do! It's kind of my hobby." She shrugged. "I think we're all done closing up. You can go home now, Ink." She smiled at him. "It was nice meeting you, Blue."

"It was nice meeting you too!" Blue chorused, though he seemed a bit put out that they needed to leave, but he turned away anyway. "So, I think we can stop by the grocery store on our way and get the stuff. Is that okay?"

"That's fine with me!" Ink smiled happily as they left the art gallery. "By the way… what do you think of Chara?"

* * *

Error stood in the lobby of the hospital next to the elevators that the nice ladies at the front desk had asked him to wait by once he asked for his brother. It was weird to refer to Geno as "doctor" but he supposed that was one of the perks of having gone through medical school. While he was waiting, he got to hear these nice ladies' conversation about him and his brother.

"They both have those… _glitch_ looking things on their bodies…" One whispered.

"I guess that means they really are related if they both came out with something like that… But this one's much more… interesting looking… Do you think it's some kind of disease?"

"I haven't heard of anything like it. Maybe it's a weird, monster genetic disease…"

Error sighed.

He had heard comments like this his entire life. That he looked weird. That he might be sick. Their mom had taken him and Geno to the doctor and she told her that they were both healthy. Their glitches were just something they would have to live with for the rest of their lives. The whispers were something he had to get used to as a kid. He used to try and pick fights with everyone who made fun of him or his brother. Geno had been the same way, until he got tired of it. But Error had never tired of it, and after Fresh had his growth spurt, he took over intimidating people for his older brothers. No one wanted to mess with a six-foot 90s freak, so they left the brothers alone.

By the time Error had entered college, he was mostly immune to it. He did get in a lot of drunken fights where the insult would be flung, but it only helped fuel his rage. He always won those fights. The stares were another thing. He just wanted to be left alone, but he was stared at pretty much everywhere he went. He was able to brush it off, especially if it was a child or an older person. Not so much with people his age.

And that's why he disliked Ink the first time he saw him.

It was the day they met. He had just gotten home, and his new neighbor was getting pizza. He didn't expect someone he didn't even know to stare at him so brazenly in the middle of the hallway. He sneered at the smaller skeleton, hoping that would dissuade him, but it hadn't. The little shit continued to stare. Then he came running to his door, playing the hero, and the rest really was history. Error knew, now, that Ink's staring was for a very different reason than him just being strange. It was because Ink was staring at him with an artist's eye, like Error was some magnificent piece of artwork strung up in the Louvre. It was the closest anyone had come to calling him beautiful.

"Error?"

Error pulled himself out of his thoughts and turned to see his brother grinning at him from just outside one of the elevators. He smiled gently. He would never admit it to Fresh, but he had just realized how much he had missed Geno.

His brother was wearing his red scarf, even with his white doctor's coat. The guy had never taken it off in Error's entire memory. And then, there were the glitches. The glitches were placed over his right eye, and only his right eye. Error had them all over his body, but Geno's were specific to his eye.

"Geno." He said, walking over to him. They stood there for an awkward second before Geno pulled him into a hug.

"It's good to see you… And you don't look too terrible, so I'm guessing you're eating real meals and not just having beer and crackers…?" Geno pulled back, trying to look for any signs of a return to Error's standard diet.

"I'm up to eating frozen meals now." Error shrugged but grinned anyway.

"I can't promise the cafeteria is any better than a frozen meal, but you don't have to warm it up yourself." The older brother steered the younger back into the elevator so that they could go to said cafeteria. "What have you been up to? Anything… exciting?"

Error could tell that Fresh had mentioned Ink to Geno by the way he was asking without actually asking. He supposed it really should be Geno who knew that he officially had a boyfriend before Fresh, though Fresh had only been half a day early.

"Well… I met someone." Error looked away, blushing slightly.

"Someone? Like…?" Geno blinked, smiling and waiting for Error to spell it out.

"Like… I have…" Error wished he could just text this to Geno, but Geno would want to hear it in person rather than through text. "I have a boyfriend."

"Error!" Geno cried, grinning and gently pushing his shoulder in a playful manner. "Tell me about him. What's he like? How'd you meet?"

Error told him the story of his and Ink's first encounter, including the terrifying cockroaches that he hated. They walked while he spoke, Geno cooing at the right parts and laughing at the right times.

"Man, he's really getting special treatment from you." Geno sighed as they stood in line at the counter buffet. "You must really like him."

Error colored at that.

"Y-yeah… He's pretty special." He admitted, only causing Geno to grin more.

"When can I meet him?" He asked. "You can make it look like an accident. Just cut one of your phalanges and make him take you here. It'll be perfect and I can practice my healing."

"I'm not cutting myself so you can meet him! You can meet him in a normal way. I'll just… have to figure something out." Error loaded his tray with dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, and a slice of chocolate cake.

"Your tray looks like you're eating for a five-year-old… Does Ink mind that you have the palate of a child?" Geno teased.

"I took him to the best spot for food trucks in New Home City and he chose a hotdog." Error shrugged.

"So, he also eats like a five-year-old." Geno noted as they went to sit down at one of the tables after he had paid for them. They sat at a table in a far corner of the room, away from the other hospital staff who were taking their break at the time.

They continued their conversation, mostly on Error's side, telling Geno all of the details he had about Ink. Geno grinned happily, excited that his brother had found someone that he was interested in. Then, the inevitable happened.

"Genooooo~!"

Error watched Geno's entire demeanor change. He frowned and tensed, and Error had to check and make sure his eyelight didn't change color. The fact that it didn't was the only inkling Error had that Geno enjoyed this person's attention, even if only a little bit.

He turned to look at the caller, another skeleton (who had only one eyelight lit) dressed in a white doctor's coat. Underneath the coat was a black hoodie, and he had the hood up even though they were indoors, and he was on call. Error frowned, remembering Fresh's words.

The morgue dude.

"Geno!" The doctor finally got to their tables. He was grinning, but Error still found it eerie. The guy definitely gave off the vibe of someone who worked with dead bodies all day. "Who's this? You're not cheating on me, are you?"

"Reaper, this is my brother, Error. Error, this is Reaper. He's a pathologist here at the hospital." Geno explained gruffly. Error didn't offer his hand, but neither did Reaper. They simply stared at each other before Reaper finally looked back to Geno.

"I can see the resemblance, but you're definitely the cutest." Reaper leaned in slightly to Geno, who leaned back as far as he could possibly get. "I should let you get back to your family dinner… Nice to meet you, Error. And Geno?"

"What?"

"My offer still stands. I promise that it'll be the best date of your life." Reaper winked before sauntering off.

"Wow." Error muttered, watching the doctor leave.

"Yeah…" Geno groaned. "He does this every day. And every day I say no. But he's persistent. They only reason he left me alone right now is because you're here. I don't know what to do about him."

"I think you should take him up on it."

"What?!" Geno started, and Error saw his eye color change to the strange mix of red and blue that it turned to when he was about to use his magic. But he blinked and his eyelight reverted back to the neutral white pinprick. "Why would you even say that?! You saw how he was!"

"If he's that persistent and you really didn't like it, his coworkers would be performing an autopsy on _him._ Admit it, you like the attention he gives you." Error grinned. Geno squirmed in his seat, a blush tinging his cheeks as he sputtered half-denials before giving up.

"Why can't you be like Fresh and tell me that he really is being annoying?" He huffed.

"He is being annoying. But you like it." Error's grin only grew as his brother continued to try and deny his feelings.

"But-"

"No buts! Just go and if you don't like it, you don't have to go on another one."

"Ugh. Okay, I guess. But if it ends up terribly, it's all your fault!"

"I'll take it."

* * *

Ink and Blue's dabble into cooking didn't go well.

Ink had forgotten that Blue was a terrible cook. Even his famous tacos were famous for very different reasons than Blue thought they were famous for.

It had taken them a long time to even prepare the chicken, once they realized that the preparation should have taken place the day before, so the meat could marinate, and once they had tackled that problem, everything had just gone downhill from there.

The sauce burned, the asparagus cooked too quickly, and the chicken… The chicken didn't make it.

Ink and Blue had been sincerely engrossed in their conversation about a new movie that was going to release that week, when suddenly they heard pounding on the door.

"Ink?! Ink, are you okay?!" Error's voice came through the wooden door.

The two friends finally looked around them. The apartment was filled with smoke, and when Ink looked to the smoke detector, he saw that the damn contraption was off.

"Hang on!" Ink cried as he flew to the oven and turned it off, opening the door. Smoke billowed out and he grabbed the oven mitt, pulling the pan out. The chicken was black and hard. He glanced at the time. The poor thing had been in the oven about an hour longer than it should have. Ink had forgotten to set the timer.

Blue was busy opening the windows to try and let the smoke out and fanning the air with one of Ink's sketchbooks.

"Do you need me to get the door?" Blue asked, continuing to fan.

"No!" Ink quickly hurried to the door and opened it with a grin. "Error!" He cried happily, holding out his arms. Error completely bypassed him and rushed into the apartment, starting to look for the source of the smoke.

"Error…" Ink pouted. "It's fine… Now, please, come here-" He still held his arms out, just waiting for Error to insert himself into them.

Error continued to ignore him, even after he spotted the burnt bird that was sitting on the counter. His body relaxed and he sighed.

"Ink…" He turned back to his boyfriend. "What…?"

"We were trying to cook." Blue offered, smiling slightly at the stranger, who didn't seem quite like a stranger.

Error barely glanced at him before sighing again and going over to Ink, pulling him into a tight hug that he lingered in.

"That scared the shit out of me…" He mumbled. Ink blushed, and he knew he should truly feel sorry for making Error worried, but he laughed.

"It's fine… I'm fine…" He hugged Error back. "I was just… trying to practice Friday's dinner…"

There was a moment of silence before Error let out a ripple of laughs.

"In the case, I'm glad you decided to practice. Stars know what would have happened if you hadn't." He continued to laugh.

"Hey! I was trying to do something nice for you and you're going to make fun of me?" Ink pouted. "Jerk!"

"You're the one that burnt the…" Error looked over his shoulder. "Honestly, I don't know what that was."

"It _is_ a chicken. I'm sure there's some edible parts…" Ink frowned thoughtfully. Even he didn't believe that.

"I think you need to rethink dinner." Error offered.

"I think you're right…" Ink grimaced, then smiled, pulling Error down for a kiss. "You were worried about me…" He teased.

"Um… guys…?" Blue asked awkwardly, still fanning.

"Oh!" Ink's eyelights turned to two different colored exclamation points. He had been so caught up in Error that he had forgotten that they had an audience. He slowly peeled his way out of Error's embrace. "Error, this is Blue. Blue, this is Error."

Blue grinned and quickly closed the space between them, offering his hand to his friend's new beau. This time, Error did extend his hand to the other, giving it a small shake before letting go.

"It's nice to meet you!" Blue said happily. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Uh… It's nice to meet you, too…" Error squinted slightly. "Do we… Have we met before?"

Blue thought for a moment, looking Error up and down before his face lit up in recognition.

"Yes!" He shifted happily. "We went to middle school together! I would kind of…"

"Follow me?" Error laughed a bit awkwardly. "You kind of stalked me everywhere I went…"

"Um yeah… I really wanted to be your friends…" Blue shifted slightly.

Finally, it hit Ink.

"Error is the ERROR you had a crush on?!" Ink asked loudly.

Blue flinched and laughed, his cheeks lighting up a bit.

"Yeah… it looks like it is…" He laughed again. "It's kind of awkward now… What are the chances?"

Error finally laughed and shook his head. "It's really… Weird. I always hoped you were doing okay."

"Yeah? I hoped you were happy and looks like you are!" Blue grinned at the two. Both Error and Ink blushed.

"Thanks, Blue." Error smiled slightly and looked away. "I am."

Before Ink could react, Blue jumped at the chance to take his leave.

"Speaking of which, I should get going. Don't want to keep the lovebirds from nesting." He winked at Ink. Error just flushed and looked at the ground.

"Good night Blue! Thanks for the help!" Ink followed him to the door.

"No problem… Sorry it ended up… Not well." Blue laughed softly.

"It's fine. I'll just have to think of something else!" Ink assured him before waving his goodbye and shutting the door. He turned to Error. "I'm still hungry." He complained.

"I can order you something." Error began to pull out his phone, but Ink quickly pushed his hand back down.

"No thanks. What I want is already here."


End file.
